The Legend of Zelda: Darkness Rising
by Twilit Guardian
Summary: AU. Sequel to 'What Could Have Been'. The Heroes separated to repair the realms. However, now the Grimoire is acting up. A shadowed figure in the Dark Realm pulls the strings. It seeks control of Midna. How long can she hold out? MxL. T-violence,language.
1. Prologue: Darkness Calls

**Disclaimer: Part Two and still I don't own Legend of Zelda... However I do own this trilogy thing, so that's something, I guess.**

**_Prologue: Darkness Calls_**

_Midna ran. The monster followed. She dodged through, around, and between the shadowy distortions that filled the landscape- so like the Twilight and so very different- yet the creature kept pace. _

_After what felt like eternity, when she could run no longer and take no more, Midna stopped and fired a volley of magic missiles. The attack missed, the missiles hitting either the warped land or continuing on into the pitch-black horizon. The monster was nowhere to be seen. _

_A beam of Dark Magic shot from the shadows, striking Midna head on. She flew back with a cry, landing heavily upon her side, the breath leaving her body on impact._

_As Midna struggled to breathe and to regain her feet, a figure approached, its armor clinking with each step. Midna looked up, only to find herself unable to breathe once more._

_Zant, clad in his ceremonial shadow armor, looked down upon her through the slits in his helmet. In his hands he carried the Twilit Grimoire. _

_Midna froze; he couldn't be here, couldn't be real, couldn't be alive._

_"Darkness is calling, princess," he told her quietly, stroking the Grimoire's spine. "It's calling out for you."_

_Zant walked to her side and knelt down. Midna raised her hand to strike him. He grabbed her wrist, the metal of his gauntlet bitingly cold. The silver plates that made up his helm began to click back as it disassembled itself to reveal its owner's face. _Her _face._

_"Darkness is calling, princess," Midna's double repeated. "And it's past time you answered." So saying, the doppelganger thrust the Grimoire into Midna's hands. Its touched burned like fire, even as the gauntlet's burned as ice. _

_Midna gasped but bit back a scream as the pain consumed her._

Midna awoke drenched in cold sweat within the Palace of Twilight. She was not, however, in her rooms. She was in a hall with one hand on the rune that would open the door leading to the Twilit Grimoire- she'd moved it from her chambers once the dreams started. Her other hand gripped the formers wrist, tight enough to draw rivulets of blood. This wasn't the first time this had happened. The Grimoire was rather unhappy with the recent turn of events in the Twilight and with its continuing confinement.

It called out. It cried and screamed. It howled and yelled. It commanded and begged. It whispered suggestions and murmured ideas. All without cease, for the Twilit Grimoire was not made to assist the Light, but to rage on in the Dark. As it had always done, when in the hands of a mortal. Until now. The Grimoire's previous 'masters' had all been so easy to manipulate, their wills crushed within seconds, but this one, this Twilight Princess, refused to be broken, no matter what tactics it employed.

But even the most steadfast cannot hold out forever. The princess would fall to pieces soon enough and the Twilit Grimoire would take its pleasure, wreaking havoc and bloodshed.

It was only a matter of time.

Midna knew that all too well. She would break eventually. She only hoped that before that happened she, Link, and Zelda returned the Relics to the Temple of Time. But that was still a long way off; she could not yet afford to leave the Twilight, no matter how brief the absence, not only for the chance of an emergency arising while she was away, but to show her people that she would not run, not again.

With a resigned sigh, the Twilight Princess whispered a healing spell for her wrist, grateful Zelda had taught her the rudiments of curative magic before she left, and began the walk back to her rooms.

Deep within the roiling depths of the Dark Realm a shadow watched growing more impatient with each passing moment. It wanted release and Midna's stubborn will was all that stood in its way. Centuries of careful planning and waiting were finally paying off. It would not allow Midna to muck it up. She would be dealt with as soon as possible.

**Author's Note: Here it is. Ta-da. Yeah... Anywho, I hope you like the Prologue- sorry it's short, but hey, it's a prologue- and... uh... welcome back those of you who choose to continue reading this trilogy. ... I feel like I should say something profound, but I can't think of anything... Oh well. Read and Review. Or Flame. I don't mind.**

**Hey, anyone know if 'prologue' can be spelled 'prolouge'? I always thought it was, but spell check says no. Could it be the British version or something? Like 'theater' versus 'theatre' or 'color' and 'colour'.**

**-TG**


	2. A Year Gone By

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda... I wanted to put that in Spanish but I don't know how to say 'own.'**

**__****Chapter 1: A Year Gone By**

The sun rode high in the noonday sky, shining down harshly on the nearly barren land that was the Eastern Hylian Field and flashing sharply off the silver blade of the Master Sword.

Link twirled the Blade of Evil's Bane in a swift and deadly dance, weaving it through the air to alternately pierce a Bublin's chest or slash through the delicate skin at one's throat. Despite the carnage, the Hero had not a drop of blood on him, neither his nor that of his foes, as Bublins burst into smoke upon death- and all of Link's attacks proved fatal in one hit- and none of the goblins were anywhere near skilled enough to lay a hand on him.

In a few short minutes every Bublin had been dealt with by the business end of Link's sword and the Kagaroks that had come at the sounds of battle had also gone up in smoke thanks to a few quick arrows.

"Oh, thank you, great Hero, thank you!" exclaimed a short, elderly man- the leader of the caravan Link had seen being attacked and come to help.

"No problem," Link replied, offering the man a kind smile. "I'm just happy to be of assistance."

"Please, there must be some way we can repay you. If there is anything, anything at all within my power-"

"Really, I was just passing through and I saw you needed some help. Anyone else would've done the same."

"But-but you are the Hero of Twilight! After everything else you've done you must allow us to thank you for this!"

"It's fine," Link said, grimacing at the use of his title. "Anyway, I must get going. It's not far to Kakariko Village, so I don't think the Bublins will trouble you further. Farewell." So saying, the Hero whistled to Epona, calling her to him, hopped into the saddle and rode east as swiftly as Epona would allow.

It'd been about a year since he, Midna, and Zelda had defeated Ganondorf the Second and saved the Twilight. In that time Link had traveled the various corners of Hyrule, driven by nothing, save aimless wander-lust and a need for adventure- though, these quests had the added bonus of expanding his armory with items such as a Ball-and-Chain and a second Clawshot. He'd tried to lay low, but rumors of his exploits had spread like wildfire- no doubt thanks to Telma- and Link had become a legend in a matter of months. These days most knew his face, and all knew his name, a fact that made him rather uncomfortable-while he was always polite and friendly, the Hero was a pretty private person, sharing his thought and feelings with only a few close friends.

Link smiled at the thought of his friends. Colin had grown up so much this year, becoming so much braver and mature. He'd started taking swordsmanship lessons from his father- in which he was quite the fast learner- and hoped to one day join Princess Zelda's personal guard. Additionally, Ilia had finally regained her memory and was living happily with her father in Ordon.

He'd seen them both about a month ago on his last visit. Midna and Zelda on the other hand... Link hadn't seen them since the day that had marked the end of their adventure. They were still busy with the affairs of their respective realms. Link understood and only wished he could be of more assistance.

Though he had not seen them, the Hero had kept in constant contact with them both via mail- Zelda had made arrangements to have her, Link, and Midna's letters sent to and from the Twilight Realm. In fact, his friends' most recent messages were the reason for his current destination, the Gerudo Desert.

They'd invited the Hero to come to the opening relations between the Twilight and Hyrule- they were being held in Midna's realm both as a good faith gesture and because Midna could not yet afford to leave her realm as could Zelda; the Twilight Realm had been more badly damaged by Zant and Ganon and thus was taking longer to repair than the Light Realm.

Unfortunately, when Link had gotten the letters- he still wondered how the mailman always managed to find him- he'd been on the other side of the continent with two weeks to get back across. Link had four days left, but Castle Town was fairly nearby and from there it shouldn't take long to get to Lake Hylia and onto the desert.

Link felt his smile widen: it would be good to see them again.

* * *

Several days later, Link stood at the beginning of the Gerudo Desert, waiting impatiently for the Princess of Hyrule to arrive.

He'd reached the rendezvous point the night before and, having been too excited to sleep, had spent the time almost obsessively polishing and sharpening his weapons and buffing his chainmail shirt. However, in spite of the intensity with which her did these things- not stopping until each was perfect- he did them absently, his mind constantly running over different scenarios and conversations for the reunions to come.

The Hero packed up his camp with similar disinterest, glancing up at the grey, dawn sky every few minutes to get a feel for the time. Zelda and her escort should be arriving shortly.

Just as Link finished up, his gaze fell upon the pass that led into the desert- a path he had not had time to take, and had thus gone through the ordeal of being shot out of the canon (free of charge thanks to Auru) sending Epona off to find her way back to Ordon, as she was more than capable. He could just see the top of the Royal Banner, carried by a foot soldier.

As more of the envoy came into view, Link raised his hand in greeting. Several soldiers returned the gesture, calling out in greeting. Princess Zelda, riding her snow-white stallion, also waved in response upon seeing the Hero.

"Greetings, Your Majesty," Link said when she was within earshot.

"And you as well, Hero," she replied, a warm smile upon her lips and in her eyes.

"How have you fared?" Link asked, all courtesy and formality; it would be improper to address Zelda with more familiar terms in such a public scene.

"Quite well. And I trust the same is true for yourself?"

"Yes, milady."

After exchanging a couple more pleasantries, the group, made up of Link, Zelda, about sixty soldiers- among which Link was glad to see Captain Ralon- and around thirty miscellaneous servants- cooks, stablehands, etc.- set off through the desert, a spare horse being given to Link to ride.

They reached the Arbiter's Ground in the late afternoon and- in an impressive feat of magic- Zelda warped herself, Link, forty of the soldiers, and twenty of the servants, along with any and all supplies and equipment they would need, up into the Mirror Chamber; the others would return to Hyrule with the horses and come back in one month's time to escort the peace conference to the castle.

Zelda, after taking a moment to catch her breath, murmured the spell, known only by her and Midna, that would open the Portal of Light and Shadow. As the mirror cast its magic on the stone slab, Link and Zelda couldn't help but share a grin; the reunion had come at last.

Wasting not a second more than necessary, the company assembled into formation, much as if they prepared for a parade rather than a peace council, with Link and Zelda at the head and Ralon and his Phoenix Elites following close behind.

Together, the Princess of Hyrule and the Hero stepped through the Portal to enter the Realm of Twilight.

**Author's Note: Hullo, peoples. To dispel any ideas you may have gotten: I'm not dead and I haven't given up on this, I just had papers to write for school, which drained my desire for creative writing, and then finals which I had to study for 24/7.**

**Anywho, enough of that. I hope, as always that you enjoyed the chapter (I know not great in the ways of fighting or conversation, but you'll get both soon enough). Read, Review, and Flame as you like. It's good to be back.**

**-TG**


	3. Reunion

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda for those few who couldn't guess that.**

**_Chapter 2: Reunion_**

Midna shifted her weight impatiently as she stood in front of the Palace of Twilight, near where the Sols had once rested. Beside her stood the members of the Twilian High Council and other various nobles, every single one decked out in all manner of finery from silver bracelets to jade necklaces to Ceremonial Shadow Armor- much like Zant's, though they wore no helmets- while Midna was clad only in her somewhat scanty robes.

Off to the sides, held back by Palace Guards, was a large crowd of Twili, all curious and eager- though a bit nervous- to see their light counter-parts. However, not all of Midna's people felt the same.

The Twilight Princess's announcement that she intended to open relations between the realms had been met with mixed feelings. Several hundred years of stories, mis-accounts in history, and even the simple fact of long isolation led to problems with trust that could not be erased overnight. Despite what Link and Zelda had done, saving their land from Zant and Ganondorf, and despite Midna's assurances it would take still more to convince all that the Light Dwellers truly wished for peace- who was to say it wasn't a hoax in attempt at retaliation for the damage Zant had inflicted?

In any case, most of the dissenters kept relatively quiet and few of them had come to see the arrival of the Light Dwellers' envoy- those that had came more for curiosity's sake than anything.

"Damn it, Link. What's taking you so long?" Midna asked, exasperated; she never had been good at waiting.

"Milady?"

Midna turned to see Noct looking at her with some concern. As her newly-appointed personal assistant- and due to Midna pulling some strings- Noct had been allowed to attend the arrival, standing alongside the higher-ups.

Midna sighed. "It's nothing, Noct."

Noct turned back to the portal- open as always in the Twilight. Under ordinary circumstances, he would have been more concerned, however Noct was young and caught up in the excitement of the day- not to mention that Midna was always impatient and sarcastic (unless dealing with the Upper Class; she would act the same around them, but they complained too much, so she simply did so behind their backs) and thus her behavior today didn't warrant much looking into from Noct's perspective.

"Who do you think will come, milady?" he asked, his enthusiasm loosening his tongue. "Will the Princess Zelda or the Knights of Hyrule or-" he gasped as a sudden thought seized him- "do you think the Hero will come?"

Midna chuckled softly: Noct sure had relaxed over the course of the year; nothing could have made him speak so freely when he'd first started working for her, not even this. Before she could reply, the light streaming through the portal abruptly intensified, becoming brighter and slightly harsher.

Slowly, Shadow Squares began shooting out of the Portal of Light and Shadow, coalescing into two figures that were very familiar to Midna. Link and Zelda were accompanied shortly thereafter by a number of guards and servants moving in tight formation.

As the group marched forward, Midna, Link, and even Zelda had to restrain themselves from rushing forward. The Twilight Princess, forcing herself to appear calm though she was near bursting with excitement, began approaching the advancing company.

When she was only a few feet from Link and Zelda she stopped, even as the Light Dwellers called a halt. With perfect synchronization- almost as if practiced- the Princess of Hyrule and the Twilight Princess bowed to each. Link joined in a split second later- Zelda had given him brief instruction on what to do and when courtesy-wise, but it had all been forgotten at the sight of Midna.

"My fondest greetings, cousin," Midna said as they rose; it was not uncommon for royalty and nobility, Twilian or Hylian, to refer to each other with familial terms. "And to you, good Hero. Your journey here was pleasant, I hope?"

"Very much so," Zelda replied. "And how has the Twilight fared since last I visited? It looks much improved."

"Indeed it is. I believe that in a mere few months, the Twilight shall be fully restored, healed of the taint of Zant and Ganondorf. But come," Midna said, gesturing her friends to follow her. "Let not our thoughts stray to such dark things. Today is bright and tomorrow all the more so as the realms may be at peace at last."

With that, Midna led the envoy up to the Palace of Twilight, the watching Twili cheering them all the way.

* * *

Late that evening when all almost no light shone down from the sky and most of the Twilight Realm was bathed in darkness, Link, Zelda, and Midna were finally able to get away and find time alone with each other.

The meet-and-greet in front of the portal followed by a welcoming feast and party, meant to both as a welcome and to introduce Link and Zelda to the Twilian nobles and High Councilmen. The Link and the Hylian soldiers were allowed their weapons as a courtesy- Zelda would also have been allowed her rapier and the Light Bow, but she kept them packed with her things. The entire affair had been- to Midna's thinly veiled annoyance- filled with fake smiles and niceties and all together far too stuffy for the Twilight Princess's tastes. She also had the added frustration of having to focus on what she called Link and Zelda, having to avoid calling the Princess 'Sheik' and referring to Link by one of his many, endearing nicknames such as 'Mr. Important Hero' and 'stupid wolf.'

As soon as had been physically possible the trio had made their polite- more or less; less being Midna- excuses and escaped to the library, as per the instructions Midna had passed along via Noct.

Midna was the last one to be able to get away; she'd been held up by a group of noblemen that wanted to strategize with her on how to- essentially- screw the Light Dwellers over on the peace dealings- hence the less on Midna's part.

Midna groaned as she flopped down on a chair across from Link and Zelda in the lounge-like area of the library. "I thought it would never end. If I hear one more insult that the nobles think they've covered so nicely with their half-compliments, I think I'll kill them. All of them. In violent and quite creative manners, if I do say so myself."

"Come now, my friend," Zelda said, emerald eyes sparkling with amusement, "it was not so bad as you make it out to have been."

Midna muttered something inaudible in response, that sounded to the effect of it being just as bad as said and wishing she could shove all the idiots in her realm into the Abyss and being done with it.

"Personally, I'm just surprised you were able to keep up the polite, courteous air for as long as you did, Midna," Link said with a grin.

"Shut it, wolf breath. Nobody asked you," she growled in reply.

"My point exactly."

As opposed to a verbal response, the Twilight Princess casually reached her hair-hand behind herself, grabbed a random, but rather large and heavy, book and chucked it good-naturedly at the young Hero's head.

Link just barely managed to duck out of the way and the book sailed over its target to thump loudly on the floor some yards away.

"Hey! You almost hit me!"

"My deepest, most sincere apologies. I'll be sure to aim better next time."

Link and Midna went on as such for a while. Zelda simply watched, occasionally stifling a small laugh or hiding an amused smile behind a raised hand. There simply was no stopping them once they started up.

Eventually, the conversation moved from Link and Midna's playful arguing to a bit of catch-up and on to shooting the breeze about the most inconsequential of things.

Though it seemed to the friends that they had not been talking for long at all, they had in fact been in the library for hours. Evening had long since turned to night, and the night had long since grown old.

Truly they could happily have stayed in the library talking clear through the morning with no notice had Noct not found them- he'd gone searching at the request of the Phoenix Elites who were concerned at their liege's long absence. The Hylians had reluctantly consented to his polite offer to escort them to their rooms, near where the rest of the envoy was already settled.

Midna could find no official reason to accompany them and had thus split off from them in the library, once again falling into her polite facade on Noct's presence as she wished Link and Zelda a good night, though her eyes lingered a second too long on the Hero, as his did on her.

Noct led them away and the Twilight Princess turned and walked slowly to her chambers, wishing she and Link could have gotten a moment alone together.

**Author's Note: Thanks to you who continued reading this despite my long absence, especially those who Reviewed (I do accept anonymous Reviews, so send one in even if you don't have an account). You guys rock.**

**On a side note, I always feel sorta bad for Zelda in conversations with Link and Midna; she doesn't really get to say much. That said, I imagine Zelda as a pretty quiet character, content to watch and listen. Same can be said for Link and situations involving formality. I just can't see him as being good with stuff like that; it's much to stiff for him. That in mind, heh. I got to make Midna say 'indeed.'**

**As with my habit of ever-changing plans, this may not be a trilogy because I any Part Three would probably be set some odd years in the future with a plot having nothing to do with any of this, except having Link, Zelda, and Midna and I don't wanna get redundant. Anywho, nothing is ever really set in stone with me for Fanfiction, so maybe, maybe not... Lose all hope for Part Three if you see hints of ZeldaxOC.**

**Read and Review.**

**-TG**


	4. A Proposition

**Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda, never have, never will.**

**_Chapter 3: A Proposition_**

Midna moved wearily through the palace halls, worn out by the day's events and quite looking forward to collapsing onto her bed and falling asleep before she hit the mattress.

She rounded a corner absently, her body knowing where to go, having walked the way so often. Her mind wandered and eventually came to rest - as it did more often than not - on Link. Midna longed more than anything for a moment alone with him, if only a minute. It had been a long year without him, even with the Twilight's restoration to keep her occupied.

She wanted so badly to be with him... but was it even possible?

She's said she needed things to settle down before they could even think about a relationship, but would things ever really settle down? She was the Twilight Princess. She ruled an entire realm. Would she ever have time for such things? And if she did find the time, how would her people react to the idea of their princess and a Light Dweller? Would they be able to accept them? Could they? Certainly, the High Council could not, so caught up were they in tradition, nor the noblemen as they viewed all whom were not of them to be lesser - and, of course, each earl, duke, and lord, both young and old, wanted the power and title of king for themselves. On the other hand, there were also those Twili like Noct - even a few of noble blood - whose minds were open to change.

That said, the possibility of a Light Dweller as King of Twilight was a bit more extreme than making peace with them.

Midna paused at the thought. Maybe she could pass it off as a strategic relationship in the interest of peace.

She smirked; perhaps she had found the solution to their problem. At the very least it called for more thought. Midna stifled an abrupt yawn. Well, more thought in the morning; she had a month with him here in the Twilight and another in Hyrule when the Peace Council moved. Plenty of time to figure it out; no need to rush it. Besides, where the Hero was concerned, Midna had found that things generally turned out well in the end.

It was a great a relief to the Twilight Princess when she finally turned down her hall what felt like hours later. With a tired sort of contentment, she placed her hand on the Opening Rune and walked into her rooms, the door closing automatically behind her. She was about to drop onto the bed when a shadowed figure grabbed her shoulder from behind, its other hand closing over her mouth and cutting off her cry of surprise.

She was awake instantly. Midna twisted around violently, breaking her attacker's grip. She landed a quick kick on his chest that knocked him back a few feet. A spell was on her lips, ready for casting when a familiar voice spoke.

"Calm yourself, Your Majesty. It is only I, Anduvar."

There was the muffled sound of a spoken spell and a small, floating ball of fire appeared, illuminating a young Twili. His hair was a lighter red than most and his eyes were pupil-less and deep green.* All in all, he was handsome by Twilian standards.

"What in the name of Eternal Darkness are you doing in here?" Midna asked, forgetting all proper etiquette in her anger - not only for his presence and 'greeting' but for the fact that she hadn't noticed him. That said, given the situation, a slip of the tongue was the last thing on Midna's mind.

"Such foul language is unbefitting of royalty," Anduvar commented with an easy smile. The Twilight Princess suppressed a shudder as he echoed Zant's words of long ago.

"Tell me what the hell you're doing in here or I will blast your head off. That work better for you?"

He laughed and Midna hated him for it. Anduvar was heir to the House of Lathel, an ancient, high-ranking family that were the lords of most of the Eastern Lands of the Twilight Realm. Their power led many of them to be arrogant, shallow, self-centered and smug, caring for nothing but their selves and their ambitions. Midna hated him because she used to be the same way, just like that, just like him.

"Such fire as always, princess. I merely came by to offer you a proposition that you would be a fool to pass by."

Midna's eyes narrowed in suspicion; those were never good words to hear from someone like him. "Oh? And it couldn't wait until morning? She paused. "How'd you get in here anyway?"**

"No, it could not," he replied, ignoring her last question, and continued, saying, "You see it involves your, ah, impending need for a husband."

For perhaps the first time in her life, Midna was struck speechless. "M-my... My what?" she stammered.

"Oh, come now, Your Highness. Don't tell me you didn't see this coming. I mean, honestly, after all that has occurred, the entire realm is anxious for you to find a husband. How could you not see it?"

"But... But I'm..." When Anduvar had revealed himself, Midna hadn't known what to expect, but this was not it. "I-I'm still young; many of my ancestors didn't marry until they were years older than me."

"Ah, but they never went to war against the Damned King nor tried to broker peace with Hyrule. Times are changing, Your Highness, and change spawns worry. The people fear another Zant rising up were you to - Goddesses forbid - suffer an unfortunate accident and thus they desire an heir.

"And that, my dear princess, is where my proposition comes in. I propose a strategic union between yourself and I."

The Twilight Princess went from shocked to utterly dumbfounded. "You... You want me to _marry _you?"

"Who better than myself?" Anduvar asked, his smile becoming self-sure as if there were no way she could say no. "Think about it. You may rule the Twilight, but you have little power without the High Council. My family holds great influence there. If we were to... combine our powers we could single-handedly control the entirety of the realm."

Understanding dawned on Midna. Would she never be free of these people? She said with mild annoyance and disgust, "You're no better than Zant or Ganon."

Anduvar flinched at the use of the Dark Lord's name. "You do me a great dishonor on comparing me to such... rabble. Can you not see the good that our rule could bring to the realm?" he asked in such a way that said he believed she should be thanking him for this opportunity. He stepped towards her. "And besides, you cannot, in all honesty, tell me that you do not find my proposal appealing."

"Actually, I believe I can," she said backing instinctively away from his advances.

"Deep down, Midna, I think that you find it very, _very _appealing," he said, his voice as sweet as Telma's honey mead and as fake as a Rupee Like-Like. Midna's back hit the chamber wall but still Anduvar approached. "I think you enjoy the idea of being my queen far more than you care to admit," he said, placing a hand on the wall above her and pressing up against her. He then, somewhat roughly, forced his lips against hers.

Midna stiffened. Non-vocal magic was riskier than vocal, but she couldn't quite speak at the moment and as desperate times call for desperate measures, Midna called a spell to mind and blasted Anduvar away from her and into the opposite wall, knocking the breath from his lungs.

While he gasped and spluttered, the Twilight Princess spit at the floor and wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her robe. She turned to Anduvar. "Now listen up, you filthy, disgusting pig. If you don't get out of here right now, I swear by Twilight I _will _blow your Goddess-damned head off."

"You will regret this," Anduvar said in between wheezes as he rose. "You and that little Light Dweller you so adore. Oh yes, I saw the looks you exchanged with the 'Hero,'" he told her in response to her widened eyes. He pressed his advantage. "Tell me, do you really think that he actually cares about you, Midna? We're nothing but shadows to them. He doesn't give a damn about you. To him you're just some exciting little fling that he'll cast aside for one of his own kind once he's gotten what he wants."

The fist of Midna's hair-hand shot out and slammed into the wall a hairsbreadth from Anduvar's head. It cracked the stone.

"Get out. Now." Her voice was quiet, cold, and filled with immeasurable anger, leaving absolutely no room for argument.

Anduvar hesitated a moment longer. Midna put more pressure on the wall, sending more rippling cracks along its surface. The young lord fled as swiftly as his feet would carry him, pausing only long enough to open the door before racing down the halls, so great was Midna's fury.

However, once he was gone, her anger faded and doubt was seeded in its place. What if he was right? What if Link really was just playing with her? It was no less than she deserved after all that she had put him through. But, no he would never do that... would he?

The Twilight Princess sank slowly onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling for a long time before falling into an anxious and uneasy sleep, doubt wedged firmly into her mind just as Anduvar had intended with his last comments. He hoped they would drive her to push Link away and them apart. Thus leaving Anduvar the only viable option - in his mind anyway - for kingship.

What he did not know, nor intend, was that in causing Midna doubt herself and by distracting her so, he was making it all the easier for the Twilit Grimoire and its dark master to find the opening they had been waiting for.

* * *

* Note that for this fic all Twili share Midna's basic appearance - somewhat more human than that of the other Twili portrayed in the game, save perhaps Zant. Also, some Twili may have pupils other may not (Midna does, Zant did not).

** Midna is surprised to see Anduvar because Opening Runes are designed to open for specific people - the Palace Library would open for all comers, whereas the princess's quarters should open only for Midna.

* * *

**Author's Note: Heh. Sorry about the footnotes; couldn't figure out a way to work them into the story, though if anyone finds them distracting tell me and I'll work it out. Anywho, I hope you liked it. It was a bit more eventful than the others so far (sorry there wasn't really a whole lot of action-action, _Phantom Hunter of the Soul_). Thanks to _Chocolate Teapot, Shadow Commando _and _Phantom Hunter of the Soul _for reviewing (come on guys, three people? There's gotta be more people reading this... or at least I hope so. Step up!).**

**Happy Fourth of July.**

**-TG**


	5. Conferences of Peace

**Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda, nor its characters, nor its worlds, nor anything else Nintendo made that has any vague thing to do with the series.**

**_Chapter 4: Conferences of Peace_**

Midna got very little sleep that night. It was late when Anduvar left and it took her a long while to fall asleep. Even then, she got no rest as dreams sent by the Twilit Grimoire plagued her. And they were worsening. She was barely able to rouse herself before the unthinkable happened; she'd actually been about to release the magic lock on the chest in which the book lay.

Waking as such had eliminated any desire Midna had for sleep - who knew if she'd awaken at all next time? - and she'd spent the rest of the night pacing her room. Little good that it did. The Twilit Grimoire now haunted her mind even in her waking hours, the knowledge of its power and nearness gnawing away at the edge of her consciousness, whispering dark suggestions, promising her heart's desires.

She knew that she should tell Link and Zelda, but she didn't wish to worry them, especially not when the three of them would be in the Light Realm in a matter of weeks - needless to say, returning the Relics was number one on the list of priorities once they got there. Additionally, Anduvar's little speech still spun around in her head causing her to doubt every little thing, every conversation, every moment she'd spent with her friends. As much as Midna believed they would never hurt her - they were the reason she'd gotten that blasted book in the first place, trusting her with such great and terrible power - uncertainty ate away at her, poisoning whatever pleasure she'd gotten from seeing Link and Zelda again. There was also the fact that, come morning, she would have to face Anduvar again. That would be fun.

The night left Midna more tired than she had previously thought possible, with bloodshot, dark-rimmed eyes. She healed these and her exhaustion away, painfully aware of how much she would regret this later; using magic to cure weariness left the user doubly tired later.

In an attempt to gauge the time - if not because she truly cared, then to have something to occupy her mind for however short a moment - she flung open the curtains on her windows and found that it was surprisingly bright out. The skies had lightened from near black to a dull yellow-grey. It was not quite midmorning, nor was it very early. Noct would be coming to rouse her soon so that she may prepare for the breakfast that would be served in - by Midna's guess - about an hour and a half.

Sure enough, not ten minutes later he came knocking at the door. Midna, not feeling overly disposed toward people, open the door to greet him as she normally would, but merely called out to him that she was up. A second's hesitation was followed by the sound reluctant footsteps retreating down the hall. She cursed Noct for a worrywart and readied herself for the coming day. If nothing else, it promised to be interesting.

* * *

Breakfast went much the same as dinner, and was thus - in Link and Midna's perspectives - stiff, formal, and boring as hell, though Midna admitted that it must be worse for the Hero. For one, the Twilight was nothing like Hyrule - he was already missing blue skies and sunlight - and the last time he'd been here he'd almost been killed by a giant monster and an evil overlord; not great references. For another, it seemed to Link that he was always surrounded by lords and ladies, all of which told him their names, households, lineages, and so on, which he would, no doubt, be expected to remember and there were just so many of them... Zelda on the other hand, had no such problems having practically grown up listening to nobles babble on about their affairs.

After breakfast they moved into the High Council Chamber. Usually, there were around two dozen high-backed chairs of stone, each bearing the sigil of the house of its corresponding Councilman. One chair was slightly larger than the others and it bore the same symbol as was inscribed upon the Palace of Twilight, being intended for the King or Queen - or Princess - of Twilight. For this occasion two seats had been added, one slightly behind the other, meant for the Hero and the Hylian Princess.

A select few of the soldiers in the envoy were allowed to accompany Link and Zelda to the corridor outside the Council Chamber, but there they waited as no one, save Councilmen or those with Council business such as the Hero and princess were allowed in, not even Noct; he, too, waited in the hall both because Midna may require him after the conference and because he had become fast friends with several of the guards.

The conference began with a quick role call, as was custom. All were accounted for - none present would miss this for the world and, in fact, many others would give anything to simply watch the proceedings, let alone participate. Both unsurprisingly and unfortunately, this included Anduvar - Midna had been less than happy to see him earlier, suffering the mild discomforts of his incessant glares through breakfast. Next were the formal introductions of Zelda and Link, after which Midna stood up and gave a speech outlining her hopes for the meeting.

"My friends and fellow Council Members, today I am glad to say that we are gathered here for the purpose of something never though possible: a peace between our Realm of Twilight and the Light Realm of Hyrule. It is my hope that together we may tear down the walls that have so long separated the worlds and let Light and Shadow intermingle at last. This, I realize, is far easier said than done, but I believe that we may do it if we work together.

Some have expressed doubts as to the Light Dweller's motives, intentions, and integrity. However, having traveled to the Realm of Light myself and having seen and gotten to know a number of its people, I can assure you that they wish for peace no less than ourselves."

Here Anduvar cut in. "Please excuse my interruption, Your Majesty," he said with all proper semblance of politeness. "But, with all due respect, by your own telling the of your most valiant quest the only Light Dwellers you encountered and engaged were Her Highness, Princess Zelda and the young Master Link, both of whom sit with us today." At this point he nodded over to the Hylians whom had been listening to Midna's address and watching the nobles, noting with some happiness that many relaxed visibly at their friend's words. Now both looked over at Anduvar, confused. "As they are present, mayhaps they should speak to their own intentions, Your Majesty?"

Midna did not respond for a while, shocked as she was that Anduvar would have the audacity to interrupt her during the conference. Such impropriety was not only unacceptable, it bordered on the unbelievable. And yet, others, both those in the Lathels' pockets and those who were not, gave slight, unconscious nods of approval.

Recovering, the Twilight Princess cleared her throat and said, "Yes, perhaps you are right, Lord Lathel. Cousin, the floor is yours." Midna sat even as Zelda stood.

"Ah-hem. Well, as my friend, Princess Midna, began, we of Hyrule would like nothing more than to treat with you of the Twilight. We, in no way, hold you accountable for the doings of Zant or the Dark Lord. We have no desire for retaliation, only to build a relationship with your realm in such a way that it greatly benefits both with prosperity and a better understanding of each other. We come to offer our hand in friendship and if you choose to accept then we will be glad to have you as allies, if not then we shall be sorry, but leave you to do as you like." She sat. It was not the most eloquent wording, nor was it the best speech Zelda had given, unprepared as she was, but, nevertheless, neither was it bad.

A flicker of annoyance flashed through Anduvar's eyes as the Councilmen gave polite signs of their favor, but it passed quickly as he began working out new ways in which he could trip the Hylians up.

An elderly Twili, hair tipped white with age, slowly got to his feet. He was Lord Variak Sharesk, the oldest member of the High Council and was deeply respected. "Now then," he declared, his voice surprisingly strong and steady, "let the discussions begin."

* * *

The majority of the Peace Conference went much the same as the opening orations; Midna or Zelda - occasionally Link as well, though he remained silent for the most part - would attempt to say something, explaining their good intentions for some aspect of the alliance or another and Anduvar, in ever polite terms, found a way to put a negative spin on it to the degree where it seemed that to side with them was to side against the realm.

Anduvar, the silver-tongued and vindictive snake that he was, took great pleasure in this. Be the topic trade or inter-realm travel and immigration he put it down hard. Albeit, even he could not do so for military aid, as that had enough problems on its own - how could the Twili assist in the defense of the Light Realm when they could not withstand the sun?

Zelda was thoroughly confused by the fact that anyone could be so against peace. Link felt the same until he saw the glances that were passed between Anduvar and Midna, the young lord's smug, Midna's furious. None of the others saw these emotions as the glares were sent when they thought no one was watching and the princesses and Anduvar had all been schooled in keeping their expressions absolutely blank, no matter what the circumstances - here the Hero attempted to imitate them, but any who looked into his eyes could see his troubled thoughts.

The conference ended the early evening, what would perhaps have been between four and five in Hyrule. Lord Sharesk proclaimed the hour was growing late and that it was past time that the conference retired for the day. His sentiment was heartily agreed to as the meeting had not been broken since it started, except for a short lunch. All stood and moved to leave, save Anduvar who said, "Wait, my fellow Councilmen! I believe there is one more issue that must be addressed."

"Is there some nuance in the beginnings of our treaty that has eluded our notice, such as the others that you have so graciously pointed out, lord?" Zelda asked, truly struggling to maintain her well-mannered demeanor.

"Forgive me, Your Highness, but I meant a matter for the High Council's discussion; not on peace, but on a matter of a nature more personal to the Twili. If you would be so kind as to take leave of us so that we may discuss it, Your Highness, Hero, I would be most obliged.

If Anduvar had behaved rudely before, he was now acting downright insolent. However, Zelda, keeping her dignity, bowed politely - if a bit stiffly - thanked the High Council for their time and exited the chamber, followed closely by Link, whom only paused to shoot Midna a concerned glance.

Almost immediately after the doors closed the Council flew into an uproar - from the pussy-footing, old windbags Midna had thought they were. It took some time for order but once order was restored - mostly thanks to the Twilight Princess and Variak, as the others were fairly upset by Anduvar's treatment of their guests and he himself merely sat with a well disguised look of self-satisfaction - and the lords and ladies and dukes and duchesses had quieted, Midna asked in an icy tone, "What pray tell, Lord Lathel, was so very important that you felt you must dismiss the Hylian ambassadors in so brazen a manner? What could possibly be so damn important?" Midna's control was slipping; she'd always had a rather short temper.

"Why, the subject of the Crown, Your Majesty, and the matter of whether or not you are fit to wear it," he said, face and voice radiating sincerity and concern, both very well faked.

**Author's Note: Hope you liked it. I'll admit the stories going a bit slower than I intended, but it's getting there. Thanks to_ Shadow Commando _for proof-reading and help with politics, _ChocolateTeacup_ for once again giving me an idea, and the both of them again for Reviewing, along with_ Phantom Hunter of the Soul_. Again, three people? They are officially my three favorite people on the site.**

**Read and REVIEW.**

**-TG**


	6. Greylis Vokalares

**Disclaimer: Seeing as my name is not Nintendo, that must mean that I don't own Legend of Zelda.**

**__****Chapter 5: Greylis Vokalares**

"Why, the subject of the Crown, Your Majesty, and the matter of whether or not you are fit to wear it."

Even as Anduvar said those words, Midna could not believe that he said them, nor could she understand what he meant. "Not fit to wear it?" she asked, incredulous. "How in the name of Twilight do you figure that?"

"Quite simply, Your Majesty, I have come to believe - and I truly and dearly hope that you will forgive me for saying this, as it pains me to do so - that in your various travels through the Light Realm you have become unfit for rulership of the Twilight."

"That is not what I asked, Lord Lathel," Midna responded tersely. "I asked why, not what."

"Unfortunately, Your Majesty, 'what' is all I can and will answer at the moment. I will answer that 'why', but only in due course. You see, Princess Midna, I would like to call a Greylis Vokalares."

Most of the High Council had gone silent and still at Anduvar's declaration, more at Midna's question being eager to know the answer. A select few, however - known for their love of gossip - had gone on whispering to each other at the scandal and about the possible implications - at best a grudge between Anduvar and Midna, at worst a blood feud between the Houses of Lathel and ra Twilaeron. They, too, went silent now.

Greylis Vokalares... A term taken from an ancient form of Twili that translated roughly into 'Trial by High Council' or 'High Councilman's Trial.' They were rare, but not unheard of. Greylis Vokalares were used to try the members of the Council or those whom had committed serious crimes such as treason or murder. This made them uncommon as the Twili were a rather quiet, peaceful race - albeit there were a few exceptions - and it was not often that they caused trouble. What made this case particularly shocking was that - were Anduvar able to convince at least half the other Councilmen that the matter was worth looking into - the trial would be against the Ruler of Twilight. That had never before happened, though the law was such that even royalty could be tried in a Greylis Vokalares, with the right conditions.

Variak cleared his throat. "If you wish for a trial, Lord Lathel, then you must first state your reasoning in a pretrial hearing. As there is no better time than the present, I suggest we hold said hearing now."

"True, Lord Sharesk, but as you are well aware, such things must be planned out and carefully scheduled so as to disrupt the realm as little as possible," Anduvar replied, annoyance flashing through his eyes as it had after Zelda's speech.

"And as you are no doubt well aware, that is not currently possible," Variak answered. "With the arrival of the ambassadors and the beginnings of the Peace Conference, coupled with the severity of your charge, disruption is unavoidable. And as we are all here, there really is no good reason to wait."

He turned to address the High Council. "As both Her Majesty and highest ranking member are unavailable, being the accused and the accuser, I shall preside over the hearing... Unless there are any objections." He gave Anduvar a pointed, mistrusting look as he said this - Lord Variak Sharesk may be old, but he was no fool; he knew Anduvar was up to something.

"I have no objections," Anduvar said, though his reluctance spoke to his dismay: he had, in fact, had an ulterior motive for his attempt to put off the trial. The motive being that, with the Greylis Vokalares pending, Midna could not act as Twilight Princess and having no heir, nor any close relatives, Anduvar, being the most powerful lord, would have been crowned temporary king.

"Nor I," said Midna, relieved that Anduvar wasn't able to set one of his followers up as Judge. Variak would act fairly.

The other Councilmen had no objections and the Greylis Vokalares began. Anduvar and Midna stood.

Variak said, "Lord Lathel, your charge and the reason for it."

"As I said earlier, I do not believe Her Majesty fit for the Crown any longer. My reasoning is two-fold. First, because I believe that she has become too friendly with the Light Dwellers, particularly Princess Zelda and the young Hero. Second, because I believe that her experiences with the Fused Shadows and the Twilit Grimoire have left her with a lust for power."

At the words 'lust for power,' the Councilmen exchanged suspicious glances - yes, they themselves were power-hungry, but none in the Twilight whom openly tried for power were ever granted it for fear of what may happen; last time the Goddesses had cast them into the Shadows, what would they do next time?

"Your answer, Your Majesty," Variak instructed, looking unfazed.

"I think that Lord Lathel is grasping at straws in his crusade against the Light Dwellers. It is clear that he has no love for them, as shown by his actions toward them."

"Better to be wary and safe, than trusting and stabbed in the back," Anduvar said.

Before Midna could snap a response, Variak said, "Her Majesty yet holds the floor, Lord Lathel. It would be wise for you to remember that and keep quiet."

Anduvar burned with a silent, well-contained fury but muttered his apologies, saying it would not happen again. Midna decided then that she rather liked Variak. The old Twili nodded to the Twilight Princess.

"In answer to the first statement, yes I am friendly with Her Highness and the Hero, more so than perhaps is professional. However, I did travel with then for some time and they helped me a great deal. It seems only natural to me that we became friends and I fail to see what relevance it holds here."

Anduvar looked to Lord Sharesk, whom gave a sign of approval.

"The relevance is that your friendship could affect your judgement in these proceedings, leading you to act in your friends' best interest, rather than your realm's, Your Majesty. Furthermore, because of this I do not believe that you should partake in any part of the Peace Conference for the entirety of its duration, nor that you should have had anything to do with it to begin with."

Midna struggled to keep a civil tongue. Imagining herself killing Anduvar helped. "Lord Lathel," she said slowly, "they may be my friends, but that in no way means that I would ever, _ever_ endanger the Twilight for them or anyone else."

They argued their points for a short time longer before Variak called a vote. The sincerity in Midna's voice, along with the fact that she hadn't tried to hide her friendship with the Hylians, had won the majority of the High Council over and the first charge was dismissed. When the result was announced, Midna felt a stab of guilt in her chest; Anduvar wasn't the only one fluent in the language of lies. If it came down to it, if it was between Link or Zelda and the Twilight, she honestly didn't know which she'd choose; her head said her realm, her heart said her friends.

"Now, Lord Lathel, in your second reason you stated that you believe Her Majesty lusts for power, correct?" Variak asked.

"Yes, Lord Sharesk."

"What gives you cause to think this?"

"Did she not go seeking the Fused Shadows in the Light Realm?" Anduvar asked. "Did she not take the Twilit Grimoire from the Temple of Time? Who would go after such artifacts as these, save one with ambitions bent toward power?"

At Variak's signal, Midna said, "I only sought them to save our realm from the reign of tyrants. Or had you forgotten that little detail?"

"Perhaps, but what of now, Your Majesty? A year has passed since the tyrants were defeated and still you hold the Relic and the Fused Shadows."

"The only reason I still have the Grimoire is because there has been no time to return it to the temple, which I have every intention of doing once the conference moves to Hyrule."

"I notice you did not include the Fused Shadows in that statement," Anduvar pointed out. "What of them? Will you return them as well? Or do you intend to keep them? And just where are they, Your Majesty? You keep the Grimoire under lock-and-key - which only _you_ may open - but the Fused Shadows are nowhere to be found."

The Twilight Princess hesitated: since getting the Twilit Grimoire she hadn't given the Fused Shadows much thought. She guessed that if she had to make a decision pertaining to them, she might as well make it sooner rather than later. "As to their whereabouts, I've placed them in the Void to use their powers only as necessity requires. So, yes, I do intend to keep the Fused Shadows, but only to use them for the good of the Twilight, in its defense and protection. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Well then, princess, why not do the same for the Twilit Grimoire?" pressed Anduvar. "Why not use it in the realm's defense?"

"You're accusing me of being power-hungry and yet have problem with me getting rid one of the most powerful artifacts on existence? Talk about double standards," she scoffed.

"Your Majesty..." Variak started, giving her a sharp look.

Midna sighed and dropped the sarcasm, saying, "The Relics are different than ordinary magical objects. They are not to be trifled with, the Twilit Grimoire least of all."

"Or, perhaps, Your Majesty only intends to return the Grimoire for public appearances, ridding yourself of a source of great power. It would make you seem rather noble, but, really, you would still be retaining four lesser artifacts, all of which are still quite strong. It is also possible that you will only make a show of returning your Relic, while, in reality, keeping it for yourself."

"What use could I possibly have for the Twilit Grimoire?"

"Whatever happened to 'the defense of the realm?'" Anduvar inquired, smug.

"With the defeat of the Dark Lord and Zant, I am confident that the Fused Shadows will be more than enough to handle whatever comes our way."

"And what, exactly, will come our way? Hundreds of years and the only wars have been civil and ended long ago, and, as you pointed out, with Zant and the Damned King gone, there really is nothing left to defend the Twilight from... Unless, of course, your Light Dweller friends turn on us," Anduvar said, looking as pleased as ever with himself. Variak and the other Councilmen were long forgotten - they sat watching unable to think of anything to say - this was between her and Anduvar now, and Lord Sharesk could not have stopped them if he had tried. Anduvar continued, quickly, not allowing Midna to answer his latest accusation: "But that's beside the point, as I've a more pressing matter at hand, for I've come to the conclusion that you want to use the Twilit Grimoire to control the realm."

_"What?"_ Midna exclaimed. She was outraged. Anduvar, the little fool, needed desperately to learn what was a step too far. "If I wanted to control the Twilight, why in the hell would I have destroyed the Sols?"

"That was the first time you used the Grimoire, so perhaps you were so enthralled by its power that you could not stop yourself."

"I couldn't stop, and yet here I am. Explain that, Lord Lathel."

"You stopped only because the Grimoire's power overwhelmed you and you passed out. I think that only goes to show your lack of control."

_"If I lacked control, you pompous piece of filth, I'd've killed you by now," _the Twilight Princess thought, though she did not say it.

Midna and Anduvar's battle of wits and words went on, becoming more and more fervent as more Councilmen finally began joining in, trying to make their thoughts known or arguing with other members over who was right - Midna or Anduvar. However, despite the intensity of the argument and the rash words being said, Midna refused to bring up Anduvar's 'proposition;' to do so now, after his accusations would make it appear seem as though she were just trying to draw suspicion off of herself, not to mention it would only be her word against his- with his position, and the worth of both of their words were to close for hers to matter much; Anduvar may be a snake in the grass, but he hid it well.

"Enough!" shouted Variak, adding a bit of magic to enhance his voice's volume. "I realize that these are all serious allegations and that such things may make the blood boil, however that is no reason to lose all control. Now then, if you would all be so kind as to write your votes and send them up, we can move on." His voice slowly returned to normal as he spoke and each Twili began to listen, and he was speaking at a conversational volume by the end, though his tone was very grave.

Each Councilman wrote their vote on a piece of parchment - not quite satisfied to be finished so soon and thus grumbling as they did so - and warped them up to Variak. And so it was decided, though it was a near thing indeed- many were inclined to believe that, as Midna had saved them, she would never seek control over them, however they were outnumbered by those either in the Lathels' pockets and those Anduvar had managed to convince. A Greylis Vokalares would be held the next day in the High Council Chamber to officially address the charges against Midna; the Peace Conference was to be put on hold for the duration. Until the matter was settled, rather than elect a ruler pro tempore as Anduvar had hoped, Midna would be temporarily stripped of most of her powers and would act mostly as a figurehead. For now, the Council was dismissed.

The Councilmen filed out of the chamber already jabbering on about tomorrow, leaving Midna and Anduvar. Before he could take his leave, Midna strove over to him and grabbed him by the front of his tunic, hair-hand quivering with agitation behind her.

"You bastard. You goddess-damned bastard."

Anduvar tutted condescendingly. "I would watch my temper quite carefully if I were you, princess. It would be most suspicious if I were to be, ah, injured at such a time as this, would it not?"

Midna's free hand clenched into a trembling fist. She wanted nothing more than to wipe the smirk - so like her own - off of his face, but instead she merely shoved him away and turned and walked out of the chamber, brushing past Noct in the hall, telling him to take the evening off - she wouldn't be needing him.

So distracted and upset was she that she nearly ran into Link as she navigated the corridors. As no one was around, Link dropped all formality.

"Hey, Mid. I was wondering when you're meeting would end." He chuckled. "Heh. The cooks wouldn't serve dinner without you guys, so I'm pretty starved. C'mon, let's go grab something to eat. If we're lucky, maybe we can escape to the library quickly..." Link trailed off. Midna hadn't made any response, no sarcastic remark, no insult. She wouldn't even look him in the eye. He touched her arm gently. "Are you all right, Midna?"

"It's nothing, Link. I just... need to be alone right now."

"Midna, wait- "

"I'm sorry," she said, moving past him, leaving the Hero hurt and confused, but worried more than anything.

**Author's Note: Here's Chapter 5, hope you liked it (whew, just shy of 3,000 words)... the action is a lot slower in coming than I thought it would be, but this is the last vaguely political chapter for a long while, if not for good. So, if these past couple chapters have bored the hell out of you I think you'll like the next few a bit more. As always thanks to the Reviewers, you guys rock. Many, many thanks to _Shadow Commando _for all of his help with this chapter- proof-reading and giving me great suggestions. **

**On pronunciation: Anduvar Lathel: Anne - due - var (rhymes with far). Luh - thel. Variak Sharesk: Var (far again) - ee - ack. Shar (far) - esk. Midna ra Twilaeron: raw. Twil (still) - ay - ron. Greylis Vokalares: Grey (like the color) - lees. Voe - cal - ar (far) - ess.**

**Read and Review.**


	7. Dreams of Darkness

**Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda. I know, I know. You're all dying of shock, right?**

**_Chapter 6: Dreams of Darkness_**

Midna went straight to her rooms, cursing Anduvar for stirring up so much trouble, making the nobles mistrust her and her mistrust her friends. The dinner bells echoed through the halls shortly thereafter and, as there was no way for her to gracefully excuse herself - and because she couldn't let Anduvar win _another _battle, regardless how small - Midna went down.

If the Twilight Princess had thought the other meals stiff and uncomfortable, then this dinner was on its own, new level by far. News travels fast among nobles, be they from the Twilight or Hyrule, so all in attendance were well aware of what had transpired in the Council Chamber and of the impending Greylis Vokalares, including Link and Zelda. The ill-concealed, furtive glances and whispers of the nobles - and a number of the servants - were enough, but what really pained her were her friends' looks of concern and near-pity and, in Zelda's case, the additional mix of sad understanding.

Dinner dragged on and Midna gave sparse answers to the few questions that were directed at her - most only asked for the sake of politeness, though some were asked with real worry by what friends she had among the noblemen. Midna slipped away at the first possible moment and, though it was clear that Link and Zelda would like to talk to her, went right back to her chambers.

It took less than an hour for her previous exhaustion to catch up with her and collect its dues, casting Midna deep into unconsciousness.

* * *

_It was night. Midna was in the Arbiter's Ground. The Sages were standing around her, speaking to someone she couldn't see with words she couldn't understand._

_On some level, Midna knew it was a dream and that she had no power to stop it... though it felt more like a memory long-forgotten than the ramblings of her subconscious._

_The Sages went on and Midna realized dully that they were speaking Hylian. Not surprising, considering where they were, but odd that she couldn't understand them - many of the scrolls in the library were written in Hylian, the original Twili being the Gerudu, and, as they were a wandering tribe, thus speaking many languages, Hylian being the least (Twili was actually a modern form of Gerudan) - and most educated Twili spoke and read it fluently._

_Midna focused her mind as best she could, trying to catch a word, but, try as she might, the conversation eluded her. Again she had the impression that this was a memory, not a dream._

_In a short flash of clarity, an idea formed in Midna's mind that perhaps this _was _a memory, one from so far back that it was long before she spoke Hylian. So, if her mind recalled the words but couldn't understand them, then perhaps she could listen and translate. She switched her efforts from understanding to eavesdropping._

"... ralim... baquer elas... prolad... Midna..."

_From what the Twilight Princess was able to interpret it was something about a threat to the realms - what else where she was involved? - but the mention if her name had startled her, causing her to lose her concentration._

_The memory began to fade, erasing her chances of regaining the thread as the sounds became more distant and the sights unclear. However, before the memory could go completely, the unseen person spoke and though Midna could not make out the words, she heard the voice. What's more, she recognized it._

_It was the voice of the late King of Twilight._

_The voice of her father._

* * *

_It was dark and silent. No light, no sound. Nothing. Everything was a black void. This was the world to which Midna awoke - if 'awoke' was the right word; something about this place seemed to deny ties to either dream or reality, as if it existed as its own state of being, separate and aloof._

_It occurred to Midna to call out for someone, anyone, but she quickly dismissed the thought - it seemed nothing short of sacrilege to defile the perfect silence of this place. And so she floated, her mind going blank, her worries melting away - it was difficult to think in a place so filled with nothing._

_After an immeasurable amount of time - seconds may have gone by, maybe days, it wouldn't even have surprised the Twilight Princess to hear that years had gone by; no light or sound and thus no way to judge the moments drifting by - a faint light began to shine in front of her, flaring slowly into being. As there was nothing better to do, though Midna could not truly say she was bored - emotion was yet another impossibility - she moved towards the light, nearly tripping over her own feet as she realized she no longer floated, but walked._

_As she approached the light an object within its beam came into focus, a book. One with a pitch-black cover - deeper black, if possible, than the shadows surrounding Midna - and silver runes of ancient Twili and a pentagram. The Twilit Grimoire._

_Midna felt none of her usual dread or horror as she drew nearer, only the sharp temptation to touch the book, to hold it in her hands and unleash the power that lay inside of it. Without the negative feelings she had no reason to resist and she reached out and lovingly stroked the midnight cover._

_Her fingers glided along the surface to the edge, her other hand gently clasping the back of the Grimoire. Her hand sat poised to lift the cover and open the book, but she hesitated. The desire to throw open the book increased exponentially with each passing second, but Midna could not bring herself to move - and try she did. Quite hard._

_A voice echoed in Midna's mind, pleading with her not to do it. The voice was accompanied by a face. One with dirty blonde hair and feral, blue eyes._

_"Link..." Midna whispered. The silence was broken and with it all the inhibitions it had set. His name shocked her from her reverie and she was abruptly all to aware of what she'd been about to do. She hurriedly dropped the Twilit Grimoire, as if burned by it, and scrambled back a few steps._

_A deep, resounding chuckle filled the darkness all around._

_The laugh was familiar to the Twilight Princess, but she couldn't place it and it didn't sound quite right - almost like the memory. Midna reached for her magic warily._

_"You are just as stubborn as I had seen, princess," a calm, low voice commented from behind._

_Midna whirled about, loosing a magic beam, but there was no one to be seen. There was a light tap on her shoulder. She whipped around again. A man stood in the light, wearing black and gold armor. He had deep red hair and piercing eyes. In his hands he held the Twilit Grimoire. One of those hands, gloveless, had a tattoo in the shape of three triangles. He flicked casually through the Grimoire's pages._

_"I really must thank you for returning this to me. I have missed it most dearly."_

_"No one ever stays dead long around here, do they, Ganon?" Midna asked, hiding her fear behind her sarcasm - no Link or Zelda to back her and this time, the Relic was in his hands._

_Ganon's mouth quirked in amusement. "We've never met, you and I. And I can assure you, I have never died. Mayhaps you have mistaken me for my descendant. We do share a name and I have heard we look quite alike. I am Ganondorf the First, the true Dark Lord."_

_"Come to take revenge for your some-odd-great-grandson's death then, I suppose?"_

_"No; the arrogant fool had it coming, thinking he could take on those armed with the Triforce and the Relics on his own. It shames me to know that we were related. No, I'm here because I have had quite enough of my confinement. Hundreds of years locked in this damnable place and I have finally found my way out."_

_"What _are _you talking about? And where are we?" Midna asked. _"And why the in the name of Eternal Darkness am I always stuck with the psychopaths?" _Midna questioned silently._

_"How rude of me. I have been alone here for so long that it seems I have lost my manners. My apologies," said Ganon, with a shallow, mocking bow. "We are in my prison, the illustrious Dark Realm. Not what you expected, I'm sure," he replied to Midna's look of disbelief," and I can assure you there are more hellish regions of this realm if you take the time to look. Though, stay here long enough and the darkness loses its initial charm and you'll find out just how easily you're sanity can break."_

_"Well, if it means anything, you're the sanest madman I've ever met, and believe you me I've got some experience in that field," Midna said with her usual edge and smirk._

_"There is a point past madness that is neither sanity, nor insanity," the Dark Lord answered. "I reached that point long ago."_

_"They do say that admitting and acceptance are the first steps."_

_Ganondorf's demeanor shifted from polite and lightly amused to furious in less time than it took to blink. "I did not bring you here to mince words." His mood switched again. Now it was one of triumph. "I brought you here to welcome you to your new home."_

_"You know what? Scratch that. I'm beginning to think Zant was the sanest madman I've ever met. 'Least he made sense."_

_Ganon laughed. "You're just as arrogant as my descendant. No matter. You sealed your own fate the second you laid your hands on the Grimoire."_

_"For the last time, what the hell are you talking about?" Midna demanded, annoyance getting the better of her._

_"Several hundred years ago, when my descendant and his followers ravaged the land of Hyrule, I lent him many things, my power, even my Triforce. I also gave him my greatest creation, the Twilit Grimoire. Soon after, he was caught and sealed in the Twilight - how ironic that we should share such similar fates - and my prized Grimoire was locked away in the Temple of Time. In the years since, I have discovered a way out of here and because of you it is possible at last."_

_"And I bet you're gonna make me sit here and while you run through your whole spiel about how you're gonna do it and what you're gonna do after that, right?" t__he Twilight Princess interrupted him with a scoff. "_Might as well. You've already told me everything else."

_"Ah, but that would deny me the pleasure of seeing your reaction to my plan's reveal. It has been a long time since I have been able to gloat over my enemy, and I will not pass up this opportunity. Now then, I've wasted enough time here." He muttered a spell and a silvery liquid began seeping up from the ground. It rose up and formed a door-sized rectangle. Within it, an open book with bone-white pages and perfect, cursive script - both of which Midna would know anywhere, despite having only seen them once - held by slender, blue-grey hands could be seen._

"The Grimoire? But..." _thought Midna, as she glanced between the magic window and the Dark Lord._

_"Confused? Don't worry, you'll figure it out soon enough." He moved towards the window then paused. "Oh, and let me thank you in advance for the use of your body." He walked forward, the window shimmering and rippling like water as he passed through._

_Midna went cold as she realized that the window showed the world through her eyes. Panic gripped her and she threw herself against the window in desperation, once, twice, thrice. She stood there for a moment, pressed up against the now solid surface. She slid down until she sat and fell into despair: her mind and soul were trapped in the Dark Realm and her body was in the Twilight, under Ganon's control. And there was no way to warn anyone._

* * *

Ganon moved Midna's body from the secure room where the Grimoire had rested, tucking the book into her robes, to the chambers of Lord Anduvar Lathel. He sent a pulse of impossibly powerful and surprisingly subtle magic through the door, shorting out the Opening Rune.

He crept in, stopping beside Anduvar's bed. Taking the dagger at Midna's back in hand, he swiftly slit the young lord's throat from ear to ear in a fluid motion.

Anduvar's eyes shot open and he made a sick gurgling sound as he tried to sit up. Ganon - after replacing the dagger in its sheath without wiping it - placed one of Midna's hands over his mouth, silencing him, and the other on Anduvar's chest to keep him down as he bled out.

When the deed was done, Ganon wiped the blood on Midna's hands off on Anduvar's bed spread and left without looking back. He made sure to leave the door open a crack.

The Dark Lord had intended to kill some noble to set his plans in motion once Midna broke down. He hadn't cared which, but after observing her during the High Council meeting, he'd chosen Anduvar because he'd thought him the most likely to resist - it was also his twisted way of showing gratitude to the Twilight Princess for all she'd done.

He hoped she'd seen what he'd done to Anduvar, one whom she hated; it was nothing compared to what he'd do to those she loved.

**Author's Note: Unfortunately, I have to leave you with this little cliffhanger for a while. See, I'm goin' away next week and I will bring my notebook, but chances are I won't write a word. So next chapter won't be for two weeks or so.**

**On a side note, today I learned that the word 'defile' is not spelled with a 'ph.' Who knew?**

**Anywho, yay the plot thickens. I know I made Ganondorf far less polite than his descendant, but, well, you try being locked in the land of complete and utter silence and darkness and we'll see how _you _do. In short, he's mildly insane. Anyone think Anduvar got what he deserved?**

**I won't be on much tomorrow, if at all (I'll be on a while yet tonight, though) so fare thee well to my friends, Reviewers, and readers.**

**-TG**


	8. Betrayal

**Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda... Anyone wanna sell it to me? I've got like ten cents.**

_**Chapter 7: Betrayal**_

Morning dawned in the Realm of Eternal Twilight, the night having been quiet for the rest of its denizens, all blissfully unaware of the macabre events that had come to pass in the Anduvar's chambers. Indeed, the day might have gone along fairly smooth were it not for the Greylis Vokalares.

Had the charges been dismissed, or never brought to light, then Anduvar may not have been missed, his absence may have been seen as a slight to the Light Dwellers or some such. As it was, with Anduvar as the accuser, his presence was required. Because of this, a courier - who else but Noct? - was sent to find him. It was he whom had the misfortune of finding Lord Lathel's door open and discovering the bloody mess that was Anduvar; maids generally kept out of the nobles' chambers as most preferred clean it themselves - less chance of someone finding cause for a scandal - and all who had passed by before Noct had been too busy to notice or else had ignored the cracked door, figuring Anduvar was off somewhere in a hurry with the intention of a swift return.

Noct had fallen back against the wall in horror, eyes wide and staring at Anduvar's corpse. As soon as he'd been able to tear his eyes away from the scene, he had rushed off to find a pair of guards. When he had, he told them what he'd found in hurried, near-hysterical sentences - he had to repeat himself several times, being quite incoherent. The guards then went to check the room, taking Noct with them despite his protests: he was already trying not to be sick and seeing it again may very well have made him lose his breakfast.

After this - Noct had kept his eyes screwed shut - various other officials were notified, the area was cordoned off, and the investigation began. Meanwhile, a guard was dispatched to inform the High Councilmen; Noct was made to stay to tell the Captain of the Guard - he knew him better as Nero, his brother, elder by six years - everything that had happened between going to fetch Anduvar and his own arrival.

The news was met with a speechless sort of disbelief; none could believe this was possible and the guard was made to repeat his message no less than five times. Ganon was careful to arrange Midna's expression just right. The turn of events left the High Council unsure of what to do next. Needless to say, the trial was put on hold. It was decided at last - and largely thanks to Variak's level head - that the Council should break for the time being as there was nothing they could do at the moment except let the investigation run its course. There were also those among the Council whom had, not knowing his true character, thought of Anduvar as a friend.

A day passed and the fact-finding continued. No arrests were made. No suspects were even named, though suspicion naturally fell to the Twilight Princess. Ganon had known this would happen and prepared for it. He'd known Midna would be the number one suspect when he'd killed Anduvar, and thus he'd created a better one - one with equal, if not greater, controversy.

On the second day of the investigation, all residents of the Palace of Twilight were gathered in the dining hall at one point or another according to rank and station - first the servants, then the guards, next the lesser nobles, and finally the High Councilmen and Light Dweller envoy as the rooms were searched; for the guards, one half searched the other's quarters while the other waited.

The still bloody dagger was found under a loose floor-stone in Link's room - courtesy of a late-night and silent visit from Ganondorf.

The knife was taken into evidence - it was, in fact, the only evidence found - and an announcement was conveyed through the palace that all were to return to their chambers and stay their until further notice - Light Dwellers included; this was incredibly impolite to them as diplomats, but given the situation Zelda had no qualms with complying.

The High Council was informed of the discovery. Being exempt from the new restriction, they reconvened - here Anduvar's younger brother stood in for him, representing the House of Lathel, in spite of his grief - in order to decide how to go about what was to come. The Council soon fell to chaos, everyone arguing with everyone else; everything was inside out and upside down. They should be celebrating a peace with the Light Dweller's, not charging them with murder - if they could; ambassadors had some degree of immunity according to the old laws. That said, these dated back hundreds of years, back when the Twili had less a united kingdom and more an alliance of tribes.

The argument grew to such a pitch that even Variak could not calm his angry fellows. Ganon watched with some amusement: mortals could be such fools. He allowed them to go on until all the Councilmen were not only suspicious of the Hylians, but of each other.

Ganon called for silence in Midna's voice, using magic to amplify it - Midna's magic; use of his own dark powers would have alerted the Twili that something was up with their leader, as it had alerted Midna in her first battle with Zant - even if they could not name what. It took several minutes but the riled Council Members quieted.

"We have been betrayed by the Light Dwellers, myself most of all," he began, putting a strained sadness into Midna's tone. "They murdered one of our own in his home and ours, no less. They came here under pretense of peace, but instead bring only violence." A quietly rising fury replaced feigned melancholy. "We cannot allow them to go unpunished."

While he spoke, he gathered Midna's full power, adding a small drop of his own for potency - not enough to be sensed, not that it would have mattered now - and wove a subtle spell of his own design into his words. It was not unlike the enchantment placed by the Sages upon the Sols or the Grimoire's dark allure but it was much stronger than both. All whom heard Midna's voice were immediately caught up by the magic as it whispered suggestions of her absolute wisdom and inability to be wrong. There was no way save hers.

Many of the Councilmen had been unsure about the Twilight Princess attending the meeting, given her friendship with the Hylians and her dislike of Anduvar, but while her involvement could not be ruled out, neither could it be proven and with Anduvar gone, few were powerful enough to challenge her and none of those who could were brave enough to go against the princess - except for Variak but he had other things on his mind and made no comment. Even Taque, Anduvar's brother, said nothing; Anduvar certainly would have raised a fuss, but Taque was made of a different stuff, timid to the point of meek - albeit rather kind - and unlike Anduvar he had no reason for ill feelings toward Midna.

In any case, all doubt crumbled beneath the spell's weight, replaced with unerring surety.*

"What shall we do, Your Majesty?" asked a duchess.

"We shall dissolve their immunity and arrest the Hylians for their crimes; traitors deserve no trial, nor any leniency." Ganondorf felt an involuntary smile creep onto Midna's lips as he continued, saying, "As the dagger was found among the Hero's things, he shall be executed - by my own hand - in three days time. The others shall remain in custody... and then, for the sake of the defense of our realm and the protection of our people... we go to war."

As he concluded, the Dark Lord felt several of the Councilmen's minds recoil at the mention of war, as their natural pacifism fought for life, sending small cracks through the chains which Ganon had bound them with. He swiftly strengthened the spell, quashing the resistance.

_"Garris bralu Twilaeron,"_ Ganon intoned in the ancient language of the Twilight - what had once been the language of his people.**

_"Garris bralu Twilaeron,"_ the High Council replied in a flat monotone.

* * *

The dull thump of synchronized boots rang through the palace as several columns of guards marched through its halls towards the guest wing. Ganon followed close behind, not bothering to keep the grimly satisfied smile off of Midna's face - the guardsmen were under his control and no one dared so much as poke their head out their door, afraid that the procession would stop at them.

But none of the Twilis' fears were realized as the guards marched on, stopping only as they stretched their numbers to fit along the in which the Hylians dwelt. Lord Variak Sharesk knocked upon two of the numerous doors - each Hylian was given a separate room - that lay in the rough middle. They were answered by Princess Zelda and Link.

The Hero glanced around at the guards, uncertain, wishing he'd brought the Master Sword out with him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zelda asked as her blood went cold.

"Princess Zelda, Master Link, you and the rest of your party are hereby placed under arrest in connection to the death of High Councilman, Lord Anduvar Lathel," Variak explained listlessly. "We are to escort you to the dungeon where you will stay until such time as it is deemed fit to release you. Failure to acquiesce will result in the use of force."

Variak held took out two sets of hand-shackles. He was about to put the first set on the princess when a cry of outrage erupted to his left.

The guards had started knocking on the other doors as Variak told the Hylians their charges. Ralon had come out to see someone attempting to cuff his liege - an unacceptable show of disrespect.

"Keep your hands off of her, you swine!" he shouted, rushing at Lord Sharesk. He was quickly detained, though it took five Twili to hold him back. A number of his fellow soldiers, Link, and a couple of servants followed his example.

However, few of the soldiers had their weapons on them, Link, again, did not have his sword, and none of the servants even carried weapons. The Hylians were severely out-numbered, out-armed, and out-matched. Things could not end well for them.

"Wait," the Princess of Hyrule called before things could escalate too far. "We will go with you." She held her wrists out to Variak.

"But-but, Your Highness, you- they - " Ralon spluttered.

"Zelda..." Link said, voice trailing off as the princess caught his eye. He realized that it would be for the best to listen to Zelda: violence had created their problem and would only make matters worse now.

With many a grumble and groan, the disgruntled and bewildered Hylians allowed the Twili to shackle them each in turn, which they did in such a way that the shackles were neither too tight nor too loose - not for any particular concerns, merely because their bodies were empty shells with Ganon controlling them, fulfilling tasks in a machine-like manner. There was one more brief altercation as Variak attempted to separate the Hero and the princess - Link would have none of it; he'd walk beside Zelda or they'd carry him away unconscious. The point was conceded by Variak, not being a necessary part of his primary objective, and the march down to the Palace Dungeon began.

Ganon had stopped at the hall's end, watching the events from afar. As the procession approached, he put a look of concern on Midna's face. When Link and Zelda walked by, their own faces lit upon her with confusion, he let her expression slip to his true feelings and worry was replaced with a triumphant sneer.

The Dark Lord had just enough time to see Zelda's mouth fall open in a small "O" of shock and Link's confusion shift to a hurt lack of understanding before they were led away.

* * *

*Note that mind control is easier when strong, negative emotions are felt by the victim, as the person is in doubt of themself. Hence Ganon's murder of Anduvar and why he watched them argue for a time - both spread fear and uncertainty.

**_Garris bralu Twilaeron. _'Long live the Twilight.' Note, Midna's surname of 'ra Twilaeron' would translate to 'of (the) Twilight.'

**Author's Note: Back from my vacation. Anyone miss me?... Anyone even notice I was gone? :) Anywho, hope you liked it. Yes, Revenge of the Footnotes, but again no way to fit them in that I could see. Next chapter'll be up faster than this one. Thanks as always to my Reviewers.**

**May be some typos: in a rush.**

**I'm really sorry to _fishylishy _and _Shadow Commando_, but I don't have time to catch up on your fics - my family's dragging me off to do random stuff. Same to you, _ChocolateTeapot_, if you're on; no time to reply. Be back on before the day's out.**

**-TG**


	9. An Unexpected Ally

**Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda and I'm currently out of bad jokes.**

**_Chapter 8: An Unexpected Ally_**

The dungeon lay deep underneath the Palace of Twilight. It was dark, damp, and cold, though the guards had attempted to make it make it more comfortable, lighting all the torches and giving each Hylian a blanket of a warm material similar to that of wool; again not for any real concern but because of the bored indifference they now dealt with most things. Four guards stood at each of the three exits and an additional two roamed the halls. The cells seemed to be made entirely of one stone, as did the Palace and most other structures in the Twilight. In fact, they were; powerful mages had crafted them all, molding the stone to their will.

The bars were also odd to the Light Dwellers, being of an unfamiliar metal. It was a deep grey, but it was not dull by any standards and seemed to have an unreal quality about it. This was because the bars, like the buildings, were created by mages, though not out of rock. Instead they were crafted of concentrated Twilight, as the Light Bow and Arrows, the Master Sword and the Twilit Grimoire were made of concentrated Light and Darkness respectively - these had more power than anything of Twilit Metal because the Relics were created by either the Goddesses or one using their Sacred Power.

The prisoners were kept two or three to a cell, with the exception of Princess Zelda and Link, whom each had their own cell. Each prisoner had a single manacle around their right wrist - Zelda's was specially warded to block magic - that chained them to the wall beside their beds, but still gave them room to walk about their cells. Link and Zelda were across from each other in cells resting at the end wall of the Right Block; Ganon had not given any explicit orders involving the placement of the prisoners, save keeping Link and Zelda alone and in separate cells and thus Variak and the guards had given into the Hero's demand of being next to the princess. Ralon was to Link's right.

The soldiers and servants of the Hylian envoy had raised quite the clamor upon their imprisonment, outraged as they were. Zelda had paid them no mind. She just sat down on her bed, her shock at Midna's betrayal never leaving her face as she tried to figure out what was going on. Her right hand tingled faintly, the Triforce gleaming with a dim light. Link's Triforce also gave off a dull glow. Neither gave it much thought however, Link not even noticing as he paced his cell restlessly, and Zelda assuming hers was providing her with some amount of wisdom to help her solve their problem and that Link's merely glowed in response to the activity and proximity of hers.

The Hero walked an endless circuit around his cell, hoping beyond hope that he had imagined the look on Midna's face or at least misinterpreted it.

But whatever he wanted to believe, he knew deep down that he had seen the sneer upon her lips.

Blood pounded in Link's ears as he a mixture of emotions whirled around in his skull from hurt to anger, despair to disbelief, love to hate. And building on top of it all was an irrational degree of infuriation at the chain that bound his wrist, not for restraining him but for its familiar weight and the reminiscent clinking sound it made as he paced: so similar to the one he had worn in his wolf form - and still would if he were to transform.

"Midna betrayed us," Zelda murmured, not looking at Link as she spoke.

Link stopped pacing and shook his head. "No. She wouldn't do that. There's something else going on here, there has to be."

"What then? What's going on and why didn't she tell us? Why didn't she warn us about this," she continued, gesturing around at the dungeon, "and allow us to be prepared? She was probably planning this from the beginning, just waiting for the perfect chance to spring her trap... and we gave it to her in coming here." Zelda let out a short, bitter laugh. "Our arrival even afforded her the opportunity to remove her greatest political opponent."

"If Midna had wanted to betray us, she would've done it a long time ago. She had more than enough time and chances to," he insisted stubbornly.

"No, she did not. Consider for a moment, Link. When you first met Midna, she needed your help to collect the Fused Shadows, then she came back because of the Sols and had us help her destroy them and Ganon. She even got a Relic out of the deal. She used us. And now that we can be used no longer she's casting us aside."

"If that were true, why did she tell us we didn't have to come? She left on her own the first time even after I offered to help. Why would she do that if she was just using us?"

Zelda finally looked at him and the Hero saw the same swirl of emotions he felt reflected in her eyes.

"I don't know, Link. I just don't know."

He let the matter drop and silence fell between them, though the other Light Dwellers continued on with their complaints and conversations. She had sounded so very old and very tired. It occurred to Link for the first time that despite all her wisdom and everything she had done, Zelda was still only twenty-one years old. He himself was only eighteen.

"I feel old," Link said abruptly.

Zelda was so unprepared for the comment that she almost chuckled. "Oh?"

"I mean, thinking back on the past two years, all the things I've seen, everything I've done, the people I've met... It makes me feel like some grey-haired war veteran remembering the good, old days."

This time, Zelda did laugh and not bitterly as before, but with genuine amusement. "I believe I know what you mean on that count, Hero."

"Oh, do you, _princess_?" he asked, stressing her title in response to her use of his. Their eyes met and they slipped back into the comfortable friendship they'd shared since the Arbiter's Ground.

* * *

That night as the guards changed shifts - the only time in which they were lax in their surveillance - a small, slim shadow crept quickly into the dungeon and dashed down the various blocks, unnoticed; the dim light of the torches hindered the sight of the guards at the doors, and the intruder was careful to avoid the pair of patrolling guards. A black cloak rustled lightly behind him, a near-silent sound and the only one he made. The intruder halted as he found what he had been searching for: the cells of Princess Zelda and the Hero.

Zelda slept uneasily, tossing and turning. She muttered something inaudible every now and again. Link was sitting on the floor, face eerily illuminated by his Triforce - he had noticed it at this point, but, like Zelda, he brushed it off. He was contemplating waking his friend when he realized that they had company.

Link instinctively reached behind himself for his sword only to remember that he didn't have it. The intruder hadn't noticed the movement - he had been watching Zelda, leaning forward with what almost appeared to be concern - so Link pretended to be asleep.

The intruder approached Link's cell and called his name softly. When the Hero made no response other than shifting in his 'sleep,' the intruder pressed up against the bars and reached his arm through, intending to give Link a light shake to wake him. At this Link leaped forward, grabbing the intruder's arm and slamming him against the bars. The intruder gasped in surprise as Link managed to maneuver him in such a way that his back was to the Hero with his arm pinned between it and the bars by one of Link's hands. Link stuck his own arm out of the cell, wrapping it around the intruder's neck, just tight enough that he had to struggle a bit for breath, but loose enough that he could still breathe.

"W-wait, Hero," he said, trying not to cough or choke; the guards were yet unaware of his presence and he wanted to keep it that way. "I-it's j-just me. Noct." Using his free hand, he pulled down the hood of his cloak, revealing a familiar face. "You p-probably d-don't remember me, but - "

"You're Midna's assistant, right?" Link asked.

Noct nodded as best he could and Link released him. He caught his breath as quietly as he could manage, leaning against the wall for support.

"What are you doing down here?"

The question came from Zelda's cell; the scuffle had not been loud enough to alert the guards, but it had woken the princess from her anxious sleep.

"I came here to talk to the two of you, Your Highness, because I am worried about Princess Midna. Something in her has changed... She is not who she once was... I though that because you were her friends, maybe you could do something..."

Link couldn't help but scoff. "That'll be kinda hard, Noct, considering that we're, ah, indisposed at the moment." He rapped lightly on the cell bars.

"Perhaps you could request an audience..." he suggested weakly. Truly he was not sure why he had come. He should have realized they'd be locked up and under guard - hell, he had prepared for that. Given Anduvar's murder, his discovery of the body, and Midna's sudden change, he simply wasn't thinking clearly.

"I do not believe that that would be an easy thing, taking our circumstances into account," Zelda answered.

"You do know why we're in here?" inquired the Hero.

Noct looked away. "Yes... but I don't believe that any of it's true. After all, you both worked so hard to help save the Twilight, so why would you try to destroy it now?"

Zelda and Link shared an almost imperceptible smile at the naïveté and innocence in his voice. "All right, then. We'll try it and see where things go from there," Link promised.

Noct nodded gratefully. "I must leave now, before I am discovered, but I will return if I learn anything that may be useful to you." He pulled his hood on and turned to leave.

"Hold on," the Princess of Hyrule said, calling him back. Noct turned to face her. "How do we know we can trust you?"

He was about to reply when the sound of footsteps alerted the trio to the now approaching pair of patrolmen. Noct drew up against the wall, trying to use the darkness to blend in, and held his breath. Link and Zelda pretended to be asleep. The patrol marched slowly down the hall, one carrying a dim lantern. They glanced into each cell and departed, having mistaken Noct for a shadow. Each of the trio breathed an internal sigh of relief.

"I can give you no proof. You will just have to trust me, Your Highness, Hero," Noct told the Hylians simply, looking to each of them once more before slipping off into the night.

He was trustworthy, whatever Link or Zelda may have thought, as, with the military and highest-ranked, most respected politicians under his control, Ganon had seen little reason to waste his time dominating the mind of each and every servant.

The two Hylians had no way of knowing this, but there was nothing else they could do save trust in the young Twili. Their eyes met one last time - one pair of emerald, one of sapphire, both lit with a small spark of hope - and they moved to lie in their beds. Zelda fell asleep rather quickly, but Link lay awake for the duration of the night, still unable to relax enough to sleep.

**Author's Note: Hello, readers. Remember me? No? I'm not surprised. I'm sorry this has taken so long to publish - I actually wrote this two-ish weeks ago, but I haven't been able to type it 'til today. Main reason being: the past couple of weeks, my life has been f***** up and, chances are, it's about to get even more so. That in mind and with the fact I started school last Thursday, I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but forgive me if it takes a while. Heh. The highlight of the past couple weeks, as I told Shadow Commando, was getting my first pair of prescription glasses.**

**On the story, I don't actually know which hands the Triforces are on, so forgive me if I got that wrong. Also, nasanerd09 pointed out my use of the word 'whom' in the last chapter. I'm actually not sure how to use 'whom' correctly - I just guess - but sometimes using 'who' leads to Microsoft wanting the sentence to be a question. Anywho, if anyone can teach me how to use 'whom' or give me a site for it, the help is appreciated.**

**Signing off pretty soon. Will try to get on tomorrow to respond to PMs, Reviews and to catch up on my reading.**

**-TG**


	10. Desperate Times

**Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda, I don't own Peru, and I sure as hell don't own a small planet just outside of Alpha Centauri.**

_**Chapter 9: Desperate Times**_

On the surface life continued as usual within the walls of the Palace of Twilight. Ganon carefully orchestrated the actions of every noble and soldier so as to have them appear normal, using their memories to add another level of plausibility. Outsiders were not generally admitted into the Palace, the Rulers of Twilight being more careful than their counterparts, but those arriving on business were still allowed entrance. Those few that were admitted wondered why the Light Dwellers were absent from the halls, but when they asked that of what friends they had among the guard and staff they were told that the Hylians were keeping mostly to themselves, within their own chambers—the servants gave this reply on orders from the Captain of the Guard in order to "prevent a widespread panic." This was accepted with little question; what could the Twili know of Light Dweller customs?

Just below the façade however, Ganon's machinations were clear. The Palace Mages, minds dominated by the Dark Lord, were forging weapons of Twilit Metal. The off-duty guards trained for battle as never before. The nobles discussed tactics in the High Council Chamber—here Ganon released just enough of their minds back to their owners' control so as to be able to strategize.

Noct continued about his duties, trying to act as normally as possible while at the same time listening carefully for any hints at what was going on and for anything that might be of importance to Link and Zelda. He heard nothing. No one so much as mentioned the Hylians outside the High Council Chamber—not even the servants mentioned them, fearful of the changes in the atmosphere of the Palace and worried of being accused of being in league with them—and it would be far too suspicious for him to ask around.

The day passed and Noct grew more nervous. In speaking to Link and Zelda Noct had committed treason of the highest degree and a day's worth of silence made him worry; he couldn't risk returning empty-handed and though he was unsure why he felt that the sooner he gave the Hylians news, the better.

Additionally, the sooner he returned the sooner things would over and the less the chance of discovery; if anyone found out what he had done and what he was doing, chances were he was as good as dead. The though terrified him, chilled his soul, but he remained steadfast; he would help prove the Light Dwellers' innocence.

His fear was helped in part by his naive belief in a perfect justice and an unfailing human kindness; he truly thought, deep down, that the nobles, Midna included, would see that the Hylians were innocent if only he could gather enough evidence and would excuse his own transgressions as a valiant pursuit of justice. And with that he thought that Midna would return to her normal self, would see that what she was doing was wrong. She had to—in the intervening year between this and Ganondorf the Younger's defeat, Noct had become attached to Midna to the point where she seemed almost as much his older sibling as Nero and her transformation scared him most of all.

Toward midday, Noct couldn't take it anymore—alone with his concern, a sense of impending danger flitted about at the edge of his mind, though, again he knew not why. He just knew that if he were going to help the Light Dwellers, he was going to have to act, not simply wait idly. He would have to set things in motion, risk or no risk.

Thus he had only one option left, one that could very well ruin his plans and get them all killed, though the task in and of itself did not appear outwardly dangerous: he would have to get information straight from the source and ask Princess Midna what she had up her sleeve.

The High Council was breaking for lunch. Noct waited outside the chamber with the pretext of having papers from some guild or another that needed approval. Midna, on exiting the chamber, glanced quickly through them and signed off on them—the papers were of little consequence and, after all, appearances had to be maintained. She then nodded at Noct in dismissal, and began moving down the hall. Noct followed.

"Uh… Your Majesty?" Noct began, regretting the words even as he spoke them.

Ganon was mildly surprised that Noct was addressing him; the young Twili had tried to appear normal, but he could not hide his discomfort at being in 'Midna's' presence. "Yes?"

"Uh… Well, I was, um… I…" he stammered.

Midna's eyes rolled and when Ganon spoke with her voice, the tone was filled with its usual levity and nonchalance, though it seemed to Noct that a certain, joking note was missing. "Oh, spit it out, will you?"

"I was wondering… what's gonna happen to the Hylians?"

Midna's body whipped around to face Noct, eyes fairly flashing as they narrowed and suspicion roused within Ganon. Perhaps he should take over the servants…

Noct quickly alerted to his danger, believing that Midna might be on to him. Trying with limited success to keep his voice as steady as possible, Noct added, "I-I was curious be-because the H-H-Hylians have helped us so much and they are f-foreign diplomats, so I w-wondered if they were going to be g-granted leniency."

"No," Ganon replied, carefully scrutinizing Noct. "They will be punished to the fullest extent of the Twilian Law; the princess and her soldiers will be held prisoner until further notice and the Hero will be executed tomorrow… Why? Do you believe that traitors such as these deserve leniency?"

The Dark Lord was moments away from ripping into Noct's mind, when the Twili finally responded, saying "No…" He paused for a moment, then continued more forcefully in a resolute tone, "No, it's for the best. We can't allow them to attack us as they will. We must not allow them to attack us as they will. We must not be subjugated again." With great trepidation, he forced himself to meet Midna's eye. Her eyes, once good-naturedly sardonic and lively, now reflected only cold emptiness. It took all his strength to repress a shudder.

"I'm glad you feel that way, Noct," Ganon said, letting his guard down a bit and releasing his hold on the magic that would have crushed Noct's will, "because at the conclusion of the execution, I intend to announce the High Council's plans. You see, we have decided to go to war."

Noct just nodded and said, "If you believe it to be the correct path, then I will stand by you now as ever."

The young Twili took his leave soon after. Ganon watched him go, a small smile forming on Midna's lips. _"The little fool…"_

Noct's mind raced; It was too much to take… How could Midna do this? She was like a sister to him, how could she betray him and all that their people believed in such a way? What had happened? Where was the woman he used to know? What in the name of Eternal Darkness was he supposed to do to stop her, if that were even possible?

Noct forced himself to calm down with a simple trick—he remembered that Midna had taught it to him and was forced to use it again before he could go on. He had less than twenty-four hours to free the Light Dwellers, but how? He was just one Twili—Midna had an entire army for Twilight's sake! Yet, he couldn't just leave them to die, let alone stand by while Midna dragged his people and those of the Hylians' into another war.

Noct made a desperate plan. He went about his day as usual, or so it seemed. In much the same way as Ganon, he was covertly preparing for a battle. Servants in any palace have a sort of understood code, so as to spread the court gossip in a relatively discreet manner. Few, if any, outside the servants know the code as there are no explicitly set terms, only implications.

Through this, Noct conveyed a plea for help to his friends—not an easy thing given the mode of communication, but Noct had been at the Palace for sometime and had some practice in the tongues of obvious subtlety.

The other servants were shocked at what they heard—they'd seen the guards training, but had dismissed with classic denial—and most agreed to lend a hand and spread the word to those they trusted. Many were uncertain at first but Noct and several others were able to win them around. It took the rest of the day, but the servants were able to formulate a plan through this peculiar word-of-mouth system. The rescue would begin at midnight.

Back in the dungeon Link and Zelda had spent the last two days unable to sit still. They had attempted to gain an audience, but their request had been completely ignored by the guardsmen. This led to a near-constant pacing on the part of the Hero and intermittent revivals on the debate of Midna's loyalties. Noct was not discussed both to protect him and to avoid jinxing the only chance they had of escape and of him actually being on their side. Nevertheless, they did remain hopeful. But then, what else did they have?

The other Hylians had, more or less, resigned themselves to the dungeon, recognizing that there was nothing to be done about it. At first they had asked Zelda what was going on, practically begged for an explanation; they were in a totally alien land, unlike any they'd ever known, awaiting an unknown fate. It pained the monarch beyond description not to be able to reassure them. The exception to the Hylians' general despair was, of course, Captain Ralon. He didn't care a whit for his own treatment, but his blood boiled at how they treated his liege and his men.

Evening had reached its pitch-dark peak and Link was readying himself for a third sleepless night, when the sounds of a struggle broke the night, startling him and waking most of the Light Dwellers. These noises were followed by a number of sharp clangs and dull thumps.

Link stood and pressed up against the bars, trying to get a view. The Hero exchanged glances with Zelda. The commotion died out completely in a few short minutes, Link not managing to see any of it. However, moments later Noct and a number of unfamiliar Twili dashed around the corner.

"Noct, what are you doing?"

"No time to explain, Hero. Suffice it to say that all of you need to get out of here as soon as possible," Noct answered by way of explanation, pulling out a pair of metal keys. He used one to open Zelda's cell and the other to undo her shackle.

Zelda thanked him, then asked, "But, who are these people?"

Noct had unlocked Link's cell and was about to do the same to his shackle. "They're servants. I was able to convince roughly eighty to help you." He moved on to Ralon.

"Hate to break it to you, lad," Ralon commented, "but they don't exactly look like eighty people."

"Not all are here now; I've go them on watch, preparing our way, and so on. Now, please, we must hurry." Noct's hand was shaking and he was having trouble opening the door to the next cell. Link grabbed his wrist gently.

"Hold up there. Why don't you just relax for a second and tell us what's going on?" Noct began to protest, saying he had to free the rest of the Hylians. Link turned to the Twili's companions. "Can you take it from here?"

They looked at him with a sort of blank reverence; Noct had chosen them to accompany him based on fighting skill, limited as any of the servants' was, not based on linguistic skill.

"Uh, Noct?" Link asked, giving him a fleeting look.

He sighed unhappily and handed the keys off, translating Link's request to his friends and adding that they should otherwise continue as planned. As the others began freeing the rest of the Light Dwellers, Noct told Link, Ralon, and the princess what he had learned. He finished by telling them where he intended to take them: a keep in the Eastern Lands—it belonged a minor noble family, the heir to the heir to which was good friends with one of the palace servants. He was here on business for his guild—nobles' children were often sent off to guilds to learn some skill or another; he was one of whom Noct had approached Midna on behalf of—and had agreed to help them. He couldn't bring them back to the Light Realm; the portal was under heavy guard.

"No… You must be mistaken… Midna would never…" Link began, shock evident.

"Link, I know how you feel, but now is not the time," Zelda said, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to give him some amount of comfort, no matter how small. All of the Hylians had been freed by this time and she continued, saying, "We need to go."

"Right." In light of what Noct had told them, Link's emotions had shut down, leaving only logic—he had made excuses for his love before, but no longer; she had made her choices, she had betrayed them. There was no going back. "What about our weapons?"

"You will have to leave them," Noct informed him. "We can't afford to risk retrieving them."

"Ordinarily, I would agree, however we must, at the very least, reclaim the Relics," Zelda said. "Noct, if you would be willing to take us to the armory?"

Noct groaned internally; this was hard enough as it was. But he recognized the importance of the Relics… and the fact that Link and Zelda would go searching on their own. Better they had a guide. "If I must."

And so, Noct led Link, Zelda, and Ralon—he had refused to be left behind—to their weapons while his friends escorted the other Hylians out of the Palace of Twilight. It wasn't hard to locate the Relics once they were in the armory, though it did take a minute for Zelda to remove the magic locks and barriers around them. Master Sword and Light Bow and Arrows in hand—Ralon had even managed to find his own, ancestral sword and the Hero's shield—they turned to leave. They were stopped in the hall by one all too familiar to the Hylians' guide.

"Well, well, well. What exactly do you think you're doing, my dear, little brother?" asked the Captain of the Guard, Nero Kaeran.

**Author's Note: No, I haven't given up on this. No matter how long it may take, I will eventually update any story I have started… given this took several months… Anyway, I'll try to settle back into my routine of a chapter once every 1-2 weeks, so hopefully Chapter 10 will be sooner in coming than this. Sorry to my Readers, Reviewers, and friends on Fanfiction for how long this took. I'll try to be on more often, but I can't today. Barring the unforeseen, I'll probably use the next week or so to catch up on my reading for the stories some of you guys've been working on.**

**Anywho, I hope you liked this chapter… and remembered what was going on. Speaking of remembering, did I already give Noct and Nero a last name? I checked and it didn't look like it, but I'm not sure. Also, for my reappearance, so to speak, I wrote a songfic for Devil May Cry, to any who are interested.**

**Well, sorry again and R&R if you've got time.**

**-TG**


	11. Complications

**Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda… wouldn't hafta write fanfiction about it if I did. **

_**Chapter 10: Complications **_

Nero paced forward until he stood only a few short feet in front of Noct. He absently fingered the hilt of his sword, a look of profound disappointment on his face.

"I certainly had not pegged you for a traitor, Noct. Think how our ancestors must weep for your treachery," he continued, a cruel and mocking smile twisting upon his lips.

Link, Zelda, and Ralon looked to Noct in confusion. At first they thought they'd walked into a trap of Noct's making, but that had been quickly dispelled by Nero's words. Now they were simply lost for not understanding who exactly Nero was—could he really be Noct's brother, was it possible for them to be so different? Nero's voice dripped with sarcasm while Noct had always been so sincere, Nero, it seemed, was willing to attack his brother while Noct had plotted their escape specifically to avoid as much bloodshed as possible—and how he had known where to find them.

"N-nero, brother, b-but how…?" Noct stammered, afraid. What was Nero doing? Why was he acting this way? It had been days since they'd last seen each other and it seemed to Noct that there was something fundamentally wrong about his brother, as it had with Midna. "Why…?"

Nero laughed derisively. "You honestly thought you could hide your plots? It didn't occur to you that our princess might place spies among your ranks? How sad. Truly, it shames me beyond words that we are brothers." He sighed. "And as we are brothers, it falls to me to rectify your misdeeds." He drew a dual-bladed sword—standard issue to Twilian captains—and pointed it at Noct's chest. "A pity, as I had such high hopes for you."

Link immediately stepped between the two, the Master Sword a familiar and welcome weight in his hand. Here was something he could handle. No more doubt, no more turmoil; only the harsh certainty of battle.

"Wait, both of you!" Noct cried, trying to get back between the Hero and his brother. Ralon held him back.

"Link…" Zelda said, quiet pleading in her voice. Surely he did not intend to fight, and quite possibly kill, this Twili here and now? Not with Noct, the Twili's little brother, watching. Link would never do that, regardless of the circumstances.

The Hero grunted in response, never taking his eyes off of Nero's sword. He waited a moment, then struck.

Noct surged forward, yelling for Link to stop, but Ralon's grip was unyielding.

Nero's blade met Link's in a swift block. Sparks flew as their swords connected to form a sharp 'X.' Link, leaning into it, managed to force Nero to move away from the entrance.

"Go!" he ordered his friends. "Get out of here. Now!" he barked.

Zelda hesitated, about to protest, but Link shouted, "Just go!"

Still reluctant, Zelda nevertheless obeyed the Hero's wishes. She took Noct by the arm and began ushering him out. She called over her shoulder to Ralon, "Stay here and help Link!" With that she took off down the hall, half-dragging Noct.

Ralon paused, no less unwilling than Zelda, and forced himself to turn back to Link and Nero. The sight did nothing to encourage him in his task: the two were engaged in a fierce battle, moving so fast they baffled the eye. Intense as their fight was, neither had seemed to notice that Ralon was still in the room. He thought to use this to his advantage, but he wasn't altogether sure how that would be possible.

They were moving far to fast for him to keep up, much less join in. As things were, he could swing his sword at Nero, his back to Link, and still hit the Hero. He wasn't entirely convinced that joining the fray at all wouldn't result in his being cut to ribbons.

But orders were orders and, whatever might happen, Zelda would always be his liege and he her faithful servant. So with a weary sigh, Ralon charged forward.

* * *

Noct lagged in Zelda's grip as they rushed through the Palace's underlevels. She tried to urge him to hurry—if Midna did know they were escaping, as Nero had said, then she could only guess what other traps lay in wait for them and the others—but he didn't seem to hear her.

Rounding a corner, Zelda lost her hold on the young Twili. He stumbled and fell to his knees. He made no move to rise.

Zelda turned to him, still going, saying, "Come, Noct! We need to warn the others."

Noct didn't move.

Forcing down her frustration, Zelda ran back to him. She knelt down in front of him and grasped both of his shoulders. "I understand that you are upset, Noct, but we cannot afford to delay."

He didn't react; first Midna, now Nero. Who else would betray him? Who was left?

Zelda knew they had no time to waste, but she couldn't just leave him here, so she quickly worked out a way to snap him out of it. With a single, decisive movement she slapped Noct. He started and looked Zelda in the eyes.

Her voice was gentle but firm as she said, "Noct, speed is key right now. If we do not hurry the Goddesses only know what danger we put the others in."

"But… my brother…" Noct started uncertainly.

"You need not worry for him. The Hero will take care of it. Trust me, he will not allow harm to come to him," Zelda assured the young Twili, though she herself wasn't sure it was true; she hadn't liked the look in Link's eyes.

Zelda stood. She held her hand out to Noct.

For a split second, she didn't think he would take it, but he did. She pulled him to his feet. Noct gave her a slight nod and they resumed running.

It occurred to Zelda that her Triforce was still glowing. She wondered now if it was simply a reaction to the Twilight Realm, to protect her from its effects; Link had told her about his transformations. As before, however, she brushed the matter off.

* * *

Nero met a blow from Ralon with a slash of his own, then maneuvered so as to lock the guards of their swords together. With an experienced flick of the wrist, Nero sent Ralon's sword flying. The Hylian followed its movement involuntarily, giving Nero a chance to strike.

Link shoved Ralon out of the way, easily parrying the Twili's slice and returning the favor with a Shield Attack. Nero retreated from this, farther into the armory—the battle had done a 180 in terms of footing, with Link and Ralon now free to flee from the chamber if they so chose, not that they were likely to do so voluntarily. Ralon had orders and Link had some problems to work out. In the Hero's eyes, there was little better way to do this at the moment than a swordfight. Link and Nero reengaged.

Link's Triforce glowed with muted light, unnoticed by both he and Ralon.

Ralon grabbed his sword and prepared to once again reenter the fight. It seemed that every time he did, he either got in Link's way or Nero disarmed him within seconds.

Casting a glance at the door, Ralon felt a pang of worry. Seconds felt like hours, minutes like days as he fought—or rather, attempted to fight—this fruitless battle. He wondered how the princess was doing, prayed to the Goddesses that she was alright, and all-around blamed himself for the whole situation, for not better protecting her. But he would not leave. Ralon's loyalty was absolute and it was owed to Zelda. No matter what, he would never betray her trust. That left him only one choice…

When Link and Nero leapt apart, Ralon grabbed the back of the Hero's tunic and threw Link behind him. Link just caught himself before he fell and rounded angrily on Ralon.

His sword aimed at Nero, Ralon was equally ready to attack or defend as need would be.

"Are you out of your goddess-damned mind?" Link demanded.

"Lad, allow me to deal with him. You go help the princess; she cannot be left unattended in so dangerous a place as this."

"She can take care of herself," Link answered, trying to push past Ralon. He didn't mean to sound harsh, but he knew he was right on this point; Zelda was a more than capable fighter.

Link didn't need to tell Ralon this, however; he knew it very well. But, like an overprotective father, Ralon would always worry. "Yes, but didn't you notice that this one here made no attempt to give Her Highness chase? Did you forget he said there were spies? Don't you get it, Link? There are others! And by this bastard's confidence, more than enough to take on our group," Ralon proclaimed, puzzle coming together fully for him even as he said those words. "Do you really think she can take on the entire Twilian army?"

Link saw the logic in his words, but still he wavered in indecision, caught between his desire to fight and his own worry and care for Zelda—not as his liege, though technically she was, but as his friend.

With an annoyed grunt, Link set off after Zelda and Noct.

Nero, Captain of the Palace Guard, and Ralon, Captain of the Phoenix Elite, prepared for their final, deciding battle.

* * *

Noct had taken the lead, knowing the path far better than Zelda. Utter chaos greeted them as they caught up with the others.

The Hylian soldiers and servants, led by the Twili, had run into a rather large contingent of guards. The ensuing battle had not been kind to the rebels, surprised and relatively inexperienced and unarmed as they were. The Twili among them had brought weapons—swiped from the newly stocked guards' room or from among miscellaneous household items scattered around the Palace—and had passed the out among the Hylians, though they hadn't brought nearly enough. Furthermore, the Twilian and Light Dweller servants were unaccustomed to using them, leaving only the soldiers, less than a third of their group, as adequately able to defend themselves.

As a result of this, many lay dead, both Hylian and Twilian, friend and foe, but primarily friend. The rebels were greatly outnumbered and, for the most part, outclassed. Those unarmed or disarmed raided those that had fallen, taking weapons and trying to fight. They, too, tended to be very quickly cut down.

Zelda cursed in a ripple of Old Hylian and reached to her waist, realizing belatedly that she hadn't thought to take, or indeed to look for, her rapier from the armory.

Grimacing, Zelda took the Light Bow from her back and fitted an arrow to the string. Ordinarily, she would have been able to draw and fire in under a second, but here she was forced to move much more slowly due to the pandemonium of the fighting and the slow process of picking a target—she not only needed to first ascertain that she was aiming at a Twili, she also had to make sure that the Twili was in a guardsman's uniform, lest she accidentally strike an ally.

Noct watched the fighting nervously at first, but seeing the princess steel herself for battle, he too made ready. He was not just any servant. He was the Captain of the Guard's brother; he had a trick or two up his sleeve where fights were concerned. Noct swooped down and grabbed a forgotten dagger in each hand, curved blades gleaming viciously in the eerie torchlight of the corridors. He took a fighting stance. Noct Kaeran would run no more.

* * *

Link ran, legs carrying him faster than ever before. Everything was falling apart for him, he couldn't protect anyone. The Hero's chest heaved and his legs burned, but he would not stop until he'd reached Zelda. He'd lost Midna; he would not lose her too. He would never lose anyone again, not while he was alive. What kind of Hero was he that he couldn't keep his friends safe? He dug in harder and pushed on faster.

Link's search for the Fused Shadows helped him a great deal now. All that dungeon-crawling had given him the ability to memorize his course in even the most complex of mazes. He planned to retrace the way back to the cells where they'd started—as he assumed Zelda and Noct would have—and look for any signs that indicated where they had gone and where he should go next.

There was a faint rustling throughout the halls. The Hero ignored it. It stopped briefly only to start again redoubled.

_"Link…"_

He ground to a halt looking around for the source of the sound. It was barely more than a whisper, and a faint one at that.

_"Link…"_

He spun around. It was coming from behind. The Hero was pained, looking back and forth between his intended path and the whisper's apparent origin. The voice continued to taunt him, his protective nature all was all that held him from charging off—Zelda might need help. However, eventually, he accepted that he would have to go; Zelda could, as he'd said, handle herself. The owner of the voice however…

_"Link…"_

He reversed his direction and ran toward the voice. He needed to see her, to find out what was going on.

"Midna…" he murmured.

**Author's Note: I had a snowday so I used it to write this. Much quicker than the last one, right? :) Anywho, yay the plot thickens. Will Link and Midna meet? Will Nero beat Ralon? Will Noct and Zelda win? This kinda reminds me of the Trial chapters from WCHB, following three different groups. Next chapter may not be up as fast as this, but it shouldn't take months.**

**Actually, I finally decided what I wanna do with this, so I don't think there are too many chapters left in this; maybe 5 at the very most. I will be making a sequel, though it's possible it will be a bit shorter than this one and it'll follow directly after this.**

**Read and Review.**

—**TG **


	12. Trials Never Die

**Disclaimer: I guarantee that I don't own Legend of Zelda. I do, however, guarantee that at least half of you will hate me by the end of this chapter.**

_**Chapter 11: Trials Never Die**_

_While her friends had sat in cells deep within the Palace of Twilight, Midna had been locked in a jail of a different kind. Stuck within the inner regions of the Dark Realm, forced to watch as Ganon used her body to imprison her friends and abused her people, the Twilight Princess had discovered true despair in its purest form. She had felt similarly when Zant had seized the throne, but then at least she had been able to do something. _

_Worse still than her inability to act was the pain she endured in the form of not knowing. She knew Noct and Zelda were fighting her people, but she didn't know how they fared. She knew her people suffered again under a tyrant's fist, but not to what degree. Worst of all, she knew that Ganon now used her voice to call Link to him, but she did not know what the Dark Lord intended._

_With a feeble effort that was all she could manage, Midna struggled against the invisible chains that bound her—a parting gift from Ganon—in front of the window of light through which she still viewed the world through her body's eyes. She sagged in her shackles once more. She felt she should cry, or scream, or make any sort of reaction but she couldn't muster the energy. _

_What would it matter? There was no one to see her tears in this eternal darkness, no one to hear her screams in the unbroken silence. And besides, she felt no sadness, no fear. Only that deep and quiet despair, an empty and desolate emotion._

_Midna had given up._

_

* * *

_

Link ran through seemingly endless hallways, ever pursuing the voice of his lost love. No matter how long or how far he ran, her voice never seemed to get any closer. If anything, it almost seemed as though Midna's voice was fading, though he was sure he was headed in the right direction. A fact which only served to goad him to higher speeds in his already near-frantic run.

"_Link…"_

Even when it paused, Midna's voice continued to echo within Link's mind, bouncing and rebounding within his skull. It taunted him, called him, entreated him, and begged him. All in that one desperate whisper of his name that conveyed everything from sadness to anger, longing to disgust, love to hate.

Every fiber of Link's being ached to be reunited with Midna. A light flickered within him, beyond his Triforce, a light of faint and anxious hope that was there was in fact a reason for Midna's actions. He couldn't help but feel that there must be some justification. He felt as if his loss of faith in her was a mistake, as if Midna had some plan, some hidden machination and he was just too slow on the uptake to see it.

After all, how many times had that happened on their adventure? Midna had always known much more than she'd ever let on and he was always eight paces behind. He prayed that this was true here.

Link paused before a set of double doors, bent over his knees, breathing harsh gulps of air in ragged gasps. His lungs were burning and he wondered for a moment where he was. The Hero was dimly aware that he had been heading in a generally upward direction, though he'd not yet gone up any stairs. He was reminded of his romp through the Hylian Sewers though, fortunately, a certain annoying guard wasn't here to bother him this time.

Link was brought out if his short-lived and amused reverie by the call of, _"Link…"_ It sounded dead ahead of him. Instantly gaining his breath, he shoved open the doors in front of him.

"Link…" Ganon said in Midna's voice, forcing Midna's eyes to look upon him with an infinite sadness.

* * *

Ralon's sword struck Nero's with a dull clang. The sound resounded through the chamber, acoustics leading to its amplification. The new and louder ring caused Ralon to flinch. Nero, seeing a chance, disconnected the pieces of his sword.

A Twilian Captain's sword is made of two single-edged blades. The pieces can be combined into one sword or separated into two—the result was similar to the Gerudo's dual scimitars of long ago. The mechanism for this transformation is a small switch, often built into the design of the hilt.

Nero took advantage of this by using one blade to hold Ralon at bay and the other to take a swipe at the Hylian. Little else he could do, Ralon grabbed the sword with his left hand as it swept, blade biting deeply into his skin—he was still in full armor, but only the back of his glove was protected, not his palm.

Both duelists maintained an equal and unabating pressure upon their locked weapons, though Ralon held the disadvantage—his leverage was bad and his hand was burning. Nero dug in with the sword in Ralon's hand. Blood trickled down the blade and onto Nero's hand, but he paid it no mind. Ralon set his teeth, shoved the Twili back—causing the blade, for a moment, to cut in even further—and took a quick backstep.

The Hylian flexed his bleeding hand and wiped it on his pants, though it was of little use as his palm was soon coated in blood again. Ralon was a little confused by his opponent's behavior; Nero had been confident and mocking before, so sure of victory, but now he was quiet and his movements seemed less fluid and flowing than at the battle's start, more mechanical. It was as if he'd switched to autopilot.

Ralon pondered this and, after formulating a quick plan, he rushed forward. Aiming for Nero's bloodied sword and hand, moving with a speed that most would have thought him incapable of—Ralon was well into his middle-aged years—and landed a heavy blow on it. Slick and slippery as the sword was, Nero dropped it. Ralon wove a web of cold steel as he poured forth all his training and natural ability into his next moves.

Keeping his ancestral sword moving so as to ward off Nero, Ralon dropped and rolled, grabbing Nero's fallen weapon before it hit the ground. He swiftly spun around, one sword, his own, glancing along Nero's and driving it off while the other, grasped as firmly as he could manage in his injured hand, swung around. Nero was struck in the temple with its hilt. He fell over out cold.

Ralon watched him for a moment, ensuring that he was truly unconscious. Then he cast down Nero's blade, ripped off a section of his tunic and turned it into a makeshift bandage. He watched Nero a moment longer, sword still ready. Could he afford to let him live?

Eventually, Ralon sheathed his ancestral sword. He couldn't do it to Noct, not after all the kid had done for them. He couldn't be the one to kill his brother. He turned to leave, but stopped. He owed Noct more than even this for saving not only him but his liege and his men. Ralon turned back to Nero.

* * *

Zelda fired a quick shot, saving Noct's life. He nodded his thanks and ducked back into the fight.

The battle dragged on to the point where Zelda began to fear that even her Ever-Full Quiver would run short. They had arrived at an uneasy standstill. No longer did Twili and Hylian drop like flies. The princess's archery and Noct's surprising, albeit reluctant, skill with a dagger coupled with the soldiers might—few though they were—had managed to thin out the enemy forces.

The battle may have turned to the rebels' favor, however it seemed that whenever the scale began to tip, reinforcements would arrive to bolster the enemies' numbers and the process would begin again in what had become an almost dull monotony of a fight to the rebels whom were so eager to get out and away.

Escape, unfortunately, was not an option, not anymore. Doubtless there were more guards lying in wait throughout the underground complex of the Palace; where else could the reinforcements be coming from? As things stood, their group was merely too large to slip by these ambushes unnoticed, especially since they would be expected.

Zelda's mind raced along these lines and many more, searching for some way out, some unexplored option. At last she came to a conclusion. The reason she couldn't find an answer was simple: there was none. Escape was an impossibility and another couple of enemy waves would annihilate what remained of their resistance. Their only hope was for the Hero to escape and warn the Light Realm or convince the Sages to disassemble the Mirror of Twilight once more.

The princess's heart wrenched in guilt and sorrow as she gazed upon her soldiers and servants, then the Twili that had risked it all by joining them. They would never see their families again…

Like all great rulers and generals, Zelda felt that she herself was to blame for not anticipating this, for trusting Midna—in other words, for not foreseeing the unforeseeable. Her eyes dropped to the floor for a moment in shame.

As was her luck that at that moment, her next arrow had been ready. For most, this would be of little consequence, however such was Zelda's skill with a bow that she could allow her mind to wander while her body went through the motions of battle, taking aim and firing. Thus, when she looked away, she broke that rhythm causing herself to misfire.

One of the Twilian guardsmen saw this and surged forward, swinging a heavy mace up above his head to bring it down upon her head. Zelda looked up to see this threat and froze in shock and fear.

Before the guard could make another move, a long thin sword sprouted from his chest. It bore a familiar crest along the blade. The guard fell to the floor while the princess watched with disbelief.

Turning back to her rescuer, Zelda found herself face-to-face with one unknown to her, but familiar about the jaw.

Taque Lathel smiled, timid and anxious, at the Hylian princess.

* * *

Link stood staring in disbelief for an immeasurable length of time. He'd finally made it to her. He had no idea what to do or say. The Hero had been imagining this moment for days and now that it was finally here, his mind went blank.

He'd planned to demand answers and to plead for her to come to her senses. He'd even prepared himself—or attempted to prepare himself, unbearable as the though was—to fight her. However, looking upon her now, there just weren't words to tell how he felt, what he felt he should do. He wanted to yell at her, but he also wanted to comfort and protect her. He felt angry, betrayed, but he was also worried and scared. And Midna… She looked so indescribably sad.

The Master Sword was still in his hands, gripped tightly. Link walked forward, slowly gaining speed. Just as he began to run, his sword fell from his hand. The Hero didn't notice.

When he reached Midna, he threw his arms around her, nearly knocking them both to the ground. They remained like this for a time until Ganon forced Midna's body to return the gesture with one arm. The other snaked around behind her, grasping the hilt of a hidden dagger.

* * *

_Absolute dread and horror mounted inside the Midna. This wasn't possible. There was no way this could be real. Just as in her Trial, Midna found that her thoughts circled themselves in an endless mantra of: "No, please, Goddesses, no…"_

_She knew what happened next. As soon as Link had grabbed her—or rather, Ganon— in that desperate embrace, she'd realized it was inevitable. She'd also realized that there was no way in hell that she would _ever_ let it come to pass. Not while she was alive._

_The Twilight Princess gathered what strength remained within her. It combined with her newfound determination and she strained against the chains that bound her. Almost immediately they snapped, unable to contain the burst of power she sent forth. Wasting no time, Midna placed a hand on the window and muttered a spell—the very spell that allowed her to open the portal to the Light Realm through the Mirror of Twilight. The barrier placed over the window shattered and she stepped through._

* * *

There was a brief and horrible moment following directly after Midna returned to her body in which both she and Ganondorf occupied her soul, their minds melding in the infinite span of a second. Unfortunately for Ganon, Midna had come too far to fail now. Through sheer force of will, she threw off the Dark Lord's influence, wresting control of her body while Ganon was repelled to the darker regions of her spirit.

She shoved Link—he was completely unaware of her mental battle—away from her. He stumbled backward and fell, looking back at her in confusion. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Midna looked upon her love. She favored him with a poignant smirk, reminiscent of the melancholy smile she'd given him and Zelda as they separated, not to meet again for a full year.

If all went as intended, she and Link would never meet again.

Continuing to hold Ganon back, Midna took hold of her Shadow Magic. Her hand released the dagger and reached out in front of as she let loose her power, beckoning the Master Sword, commanding it to fly to her.

The gleaming Relic cut through the air at an incredible speed. The Hero saw this and had only enough time to look back to his love, a cry just beginning to form on his lips, before the Blade of Evil's Bane slammed point-first into Midna's chest.

**Author's Note: Was my Disclaimer's prediction correct? Do at least half of you hate my guts right now? Keep in mind, it's not over yet. This story's got a bit of fight left in it. I'm not entirely sure I'm happy with how this chapter turned out, but, then, what do I know? Why not drop a note and let me know what you think?**

**Heh. You were upset about another cliffhanger last chapter, **_**Phantom Hunter**_**? Now there's a triple with Nero, Taque, and Midna… For those of you that don't remember, Taque is Anduvar's little brother.**

**Just to clarify ages, because it occurs to me that I haven't completely: Noct is 16, Nero is 22, Taque is 19, and Ralon is about 46. For canon characters, I'd call Link 18, Midna 19 and Zelda 21.**

**As a somewhat early shout out: Good luck, **_**Shadow Commando**_**.**

**Read and Review.**

**-TG**


	13. In Hope for the Future

**Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda or any of its affiliates… whoever they may be and whatever they might have to do with this fic.**

_**Chapter 12: In Hope for the Future**_

Noct dodged a blow aimed at his heart, the spear passing within an inch of his chest. As the guard drew back to strike again, Noct surged forward. The guard was unable to maneuver his weapon at such a close range. He tried to block, but Noct slipped past his defenses, thrusting the dagger deep into the other Twili's chest.

Blood spurted out as Noct yanked his dagger away, just another crimson stain to add to all the others that now coated his clothes. The guard gurgled and fell forward. Noct sidestepped out of his way, forcing himself not to look at the body, not to think about what he'd done. In less than a day he had gone from peace-loving Twili to cold-blooded murderer.

It may not have been so bad, had he not known those that he fought. However each guard or traitor servant—as they now revealed themselves—that he battled, he knew by name and face, and many he had even called 'friend.' And here he was, killing them left and right. The very thought of his crimes was enough to turn his stomach. Thus, it was either force his mind elsewhere or lose his supper.

Noct was lucky for a while in this regard as the friends-turned-enemies were in ample supply here as waning forces were strengthened by the arrival of backup. He didn't have time to ponder what he was doing, to doubt his decisions and wonder what exactly had made him turn against these people—_his_ people. If he had stopped to do so, he would have been cut down immediately.

Unfortunately—for Noct, if not the others—no force is truly unending and after what seemed like quite a long time, no more Twili poured from the corridors. Noct spun around from his latest 'victim' to find that there was no one left to fight, save his own allies but he was not yet so distraught as to attack them. In any case, their numbers were considerably lessened from when they began.

Where they had started one hundred and forty strong, sixty Hylians, eighty Twili, now stood a mere fraction of that. They had thinned to about thirty Twili and twenty Light Dwellers, of which only a handful were soldiers. They all seemed equally disbelieving that the onslaught had ended or at least reached a pause.

Noct leaned up against a wall and slowly slid down, panting heavily. His hand brushed something at his side and he glanced over at it. It was the corpse of a Palace Guardsman. He choked back his gorge and frantically pushed himself several feet away but couldn't find the strength to stand. He closed his eyes and tried to remember simpler times, happy memories of he and his brother as children. This only lead to his wondering if Nero was okay, thinking of him fighting the Hero which led to him remembering his own fight and, with it, his sins.

Noct shuddered. A cool, gentle hand brushed his head. He opened his eyes. Zelda kneeled before him, her hand placed lightly on his forehead, as if checking for a fever.

"Are you all right?" she asked, eyes shining with concern—Noct looked pale even by Twili standards and he was covered in cold sweat and blood.

"Fine…" he said uncertainly as he became aware of a stinging in his side. He looked down and discovered that there was a long gash running across the left side of his ribs, extending to his back. Noct was surprised; he hadn't even noticed it.

Just as the sting was turning into a dull burn, Zelda put a hand over the cut and whispered a spell. His skin flowed back together and the blood ceased to flow. Zelda removed her hand, wiped it off on her dress—it, too, had several stains, but using a bow had saved her from getting as much blood as Noct had on her— and held it out to the Twili, offering to help him up. He shook his head. He was still waiting for the nausea to pass. Zelda drew her hand back but continued to kneel beside him.

"Are you all right?" she repeated.

Noct just looked at her for a moment, then his eyes fell on the numberless bodies around them. The princess tracked his gaze and understanding dawned on her. She'd been through so much, fought in so many battles… It hadn't occurred to her that Noct was new to this.

"It will get easier, Noct. As time goes on, you will get used to it, to doing what is necessary."

"How in the name of Twilight could I ever get used to this?" he exclaimed, incredulous. "How could this-this _massacre_ ever get better?"

Zelda eyed him with sad wisdom. "I did not say it would get better, only that it would be easier. Just because the things we must do are unpleasant, does not make them any less necessary… It is not something that can be properly explained, but some day you will understand."

She stood and moved away, helping the other wounded and offering what little support she could to the disheartened. She was mending a Twili's broken arm when Taque approached her. He waited, polite and uncertain, for her to finish before tentatively tapping her shoulder.

"Um… H-hello, princess. I-I am T-Taque Lathel," he said by way of introduction, voice holding only the slightest accent and a heavy quiver.

"Lathel?" she asked, looking him up and down. She knew him as the one who had saved her, but only now did she recognize the family resemblance.

"Uh, yes, Your Highness." He looked anxious at her tone—she had said that a little sharper than she'd intended. "I, uh, apologize for anything my brother m-may have s-said or done. He can—er, could be a little, um, rough around the edges."

Zelda nodded, confused by the switch—this was rather different behavior from what she'd come to associate with the name 'Lathel.' "I am sorry for you loss and I thank you for saving me, but, if you do not mind my intrusion, what are you doing down here?"

Taque jumped a little at the question—he'd been staring determinedly at the ground. "O-Oh, I, er, that is, uh…"

"Oh, Lord Lathel, you've arrived."

Noct walked over and gave as short bow to Taque. He looked much improved from before though not precisely back to normal. "Princess Zelda this is Lord Taque Lathel, as you may already know. He is our contact among the noblemen and it is to his home in the Eastern Lands that we are headed." He spoke with little to no emotion, stating simple fact and nothing more. Perhaps he wasn't so much better as she'd surmised.

"I thought you said that we would be staying with a minor noble," Zelda remarked, glancing between the two Twili. She'd heard of the influence held by the House of Lathel even before she'd felt the weight of it during the Conferences.

"T-Technically, I am—er, was. You s-see, Anduvar was the actual Lord Lathel, while I h-held the title in name alone. He was the f-firstborn so he inherited m-most of the power and responsibility. It is simply how we d-do things here."

"But how did you manage to contact each other? I thought you said Midna was keeping the High Council on a tight leash?" she asked, looking to Noct.

"She is," the young Twili answered, "but Lord Lathel is, well, he's not…" He trailed off, not sure how he should continue.

"I am not the best when it comes to m-military matters," Taque finished, smiling anxiously. "As s-such, I have been dismissed from C-Council affairs."

Zelda nodded dubiously—it seemed too convenient—but made no comment against the explanation. "We should be away. We have not the time for further discussion—we should try to escape while we still can." But… it wouldn't matter how long they took, would it? No matter how she looked at it, Zelda could find no way out. Even if they cleared the Palace of Twilight, could they evade pursuit long enough to reach Taque's home? And what then? It would only forestall the inevitable.

"W-wait," Taque began. He squirmed when their eyes turned to him. He really was an infuriatingly nervous young man. "I, er, I mean, uh… I think there's something going on in the Palace. S-something beyond what we know. While I was in the Council—"

He was cut off by the sound of marching, metal-clad feet. Far off and closing in strode more Palace guards, guided to their target by Ganon's power. Nearer to the rebels a single set of footsteps could be heard. A scout, perhaps, though they had rather heavy, clunking steps.

The able-bodied rebels tensed. Zelda drew the Light Bow and knocked an arrow—the scout would likely be on them in a moment. Less than a minute after, a misshapen form burst from around the corner. The princess almost fired her shot before she realized who its was. She returned her weapons to her back.

Ralon jogged awkwardly toward them, Nero draped over his shoulder, two swords at his belt.

"Brother!" Noct dashed toward them, shocked from his emotional block. Ralon stopped, noticing for the first time that he had found his friends—though how he had managed that, he had no idea. He settled for thanking the Goddesses for his good fortune. With Noct's help, the captain eased Nero onto the floor. Ralon stood but Noct remained at his brother's side. "How did—why would—?"

"Figured I owed you one, lad," Ralon stated, ruffling the Twili's hair. He turned to Zelda and all good humor vanished from his expression. "Your Highness, with all due respect, we need to move. Forgive me if I am out of line, but there are more soldiers closing in, a lot more."

"Yes, but…" She looked around to the rebels that were, in turn, looking to her. For leadership, for guidance. With the guards drawing ever closer, there was no for all of them to escape. She didn't know what to do. How could she have let this happen? How could she have condemned them all to death? Once again, she had failed her people.

The pause stretched on. During this hesitation, a murmur swept through the rebels started by a young Hylian by the name of Nathaniel. It was a request—translated by Twili who spoke Hylian to those who did not—and it was met with a determined, if resigned, assent.

Nathaniel stepped forward. "Your Highness, Lord, Captain," he started, nodding to Zelda, Taque, and Ralon in turn, "we know the dilemma and we know the consequences. All of us… and we accept them. It is our wish that you and your party"—here he indicated Noct and Nero as well—"escape. Leave us here to deal with the guards."

This was met by immediate and fierce protest, especially from the princess and Ralon. Nathaniel continued, "Your Highness, you must go. What will become of Hyrule without its princess?" He looked to Ralon. "And Captain, who will guard Her Highness if not you? And how will they carry your poor friend there?" He was pointing at Nero. His eyes turned to Taque. "They'll need you, my lord, to remind them that there is still hope for peace." To Noct. "And you, my young friend, to guide them. As for us, we'll play our part here so that all of you may play your parts when the time comes. You must go… but come back when you are ready and triumph over this darkness."

"But… you can't…" Zelda looked helplessly at the rebels, from face to face. Their eyes said that they were decided; they would not be turned from their path. "…Very well… But someone must warn the Hero, wherever he may be."

Ralon looked among the group, puzzled. "I sent him to meet you a while ago… Maybe he got lost?"

"No… More likely, he ran into trouble." Zelda's demeanor darkened further still. "An ambush I believe Midna would set up personally."

"I-I'll do it," Taque volunteered. His voice hardened, displaying a stubbornness that was more characteristic of the Lathels. "I-I wish to help and, if Midna truly is there, then it is not only my duty as a Twilian Lord to go, but my right as a kinsmen to Anduvar. I will find him." Before the others could argue, before, before the courage could leave the timid young Twili, he took off down one of the adjoining corridors.

"Goddesses help him," Ralon said, watching Taque's receding form.

"Help us all," Zelda responded, more to herself than to the captain.

The resounding noise of the guards marching on them continued, as the ticking of a clock counting down the seconds until their doom.

With heavy hearts, they made ready to be off, Noct and Ralon working together to carry Nero, Zelda whispering final healing spells to wounded men. She turned to all the rebels and said, "There is no way we can ever thank you for what you are doing here today. All we can do is promise that we will continue to fight and that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. Your names will go down in the histories of both realms as heroes and sung in the praises of bards yet to come." Her voice broke ever so slightly. "Goddesses protect you, our finest soldiers."

She turned and began the long, slow walk to freedom, Noct and Ralon followed close behind with Nero. At their backs rose a cheer of "Long live the princess!" or, in the case of the Twili—not all of which could understand the words but nevertheless got the meaning—"Garris bralu ri seress!"

Noct's eyes spilled over with tears and he sobbed quietly as they pressed on. He had killed so many and now he abandoned those that were supposed to be his friends? What kind of life was this? They were supposed to be the heroes, so how could they do this?

Tears also flowed from Ralon's eyes, but he was silent about it. Where many men would have been ashamed of such a display, the captain was not. He was proud of his men, proud to have fought beside them, to have been in their presence. The only shame he felt was in himself for not being able to join them in this last battle.

Zelda's eyes were dry. Exerting every ounce of self-control she had—learned through years at court—she maintained composure. She and Link were alike in that they were both determined to always keep up a brave face. The princess wanted to speak some word of encouragement to her companions but could not—if she spoke, her tenuous control would be lost. Though she said nothing, there was a clear message in her sad and tearless eyes: she would never again fail her people.

There was a brief moment some time later and again a while after in which her Triforce flashed with bright light but none of them gave it acknowledgement beyond the the obvious question and an unsure shrug. They were too preoccupied and had not the strength to spare nor the will to spare to deal with it just then.

And so they made their escape, though all agreed that it had come at too great a cost.

**Author's Note: Yeah, no Link and Midna but I think it turned it turned out well regardless. This actually wraps up the story for Zelda, Ralon, Noct, and Nero until either the epilogue or the final chapter. Two quick things: the ZeldaxOC that I've been trying to work in is _NOT _Zelda and Noct—it occurred to me that it might seem that way with this chapter (if you squint). Also Taque = Tack for pronunciation. Next up is Link and Midna. :) Don't worry; the twists and turns in the plot aren't done yet.**

**Read and Review.**

—**TG **


	14. Revelations

**Disclaimer: No tengo las derechas a la Leyenda de Zelda… That almost translates… I think… except I used 'rights' as in left versus right… Close enough.**

_**Chapter 13: Revelations**_

Even as their friends made their escape, Link and Midna were finally reunited. However, the circumstances were a far cry from what either would have hoped for, though they were similar to what Midna had expected, excepting one key fact that she herself had changed: she was the one that would die, blade stuck firmly in her heart. In the moment that followed, punctuated by an explosion of light from Link's Triforce, time lost meaning in that small chamber within the Realm of Twilight.

For Link that frozen moment was filled with a combination of disbelief and horror. Why would she do that? What purpose could killing herself possibly serve? Why here? Why now? Why hadn't she let him help her? His heart twisted in anguish beyond that which can be described. He almost fell to his knees but caught himself. Movement would make this real and he could never let this be made real.

Midna had no such worries or questions. For her, the moment was very much real and excruciatingly drawn out. There existed only pain, fiery, intense, and endless. She may have screamed but she didn't know. Her mind was blank, eyes seeing only a plain of pure white. Her entire world consisted only of that plain and the burning pain.

And just so quickly as it had started, it ended. The pain was gone, Midna could see. Link stood before her, face contorted in despair that was slowly switching to shock. The Twilight Princess realized why as she noticed a shadowy figure standing at the uttermost edge of her vision. She wasn't able to identify it before blackness completely enveloped her sight and she fell unconscious. She did, however, manage to see a shining beam of light piercing straight through it. Midna fell back and knew no more.

Link's eyes flitted back and forth between his love and the wispy, shadowed form of another that he knew all too well. He was both relieved and terrified all at the same time. Relieved because, though she appeared to be unconscious, Midna seemed otherwise unharmed. It was the other figure before him that caused his fear. Link knew him well, but it seemed that the time that had passed had only served to further the man's aura of evil, making him more sinister and menacing.

The true Lord of Darkness and crafter of the Twilit Grimoire stood in front of Link, though only in part. His power had greatly diminished during his stay in the Dark Realm, preventing him from taking full physical form and thus in part was the reason he had taken Midna's. In his time in the Twilight, Ganon hadn't managed to garner enough power to even make an attempt to bring his own body back—it took incredible amounts of energy to control so many minds. So it was that he no presented as a mere shadow of his former glory.

Ganon had his original shape and that of his armor and blade, but all was a shade of the deepest, most complete black, as if his presence was a hole in the fabric of existence. There were only two place where this was untrue, the general rule broken. The first was in his eyes which glowed with an unholy, red light. The second was his breast where the Master Sword gleamed with its bright purity.

Ganon's bloody orbs turned to the sword and he eyed it with mild distaste. He seemed almost to be watching the smallest, most insignificant annoyance he had ever encountered when in fact the Dark Lord was in a degree of pain that would have had most men out cold at the 'annoyance's' hands. After his centuries' worth of mental torture and insanity, such things as trivial as physical pain no longer fazed him.

He slowly pulled the Master Sword out, still glaring at its blade. When it was fully out of his form, he dropped it with disgust, treating it as though it were a particularly rancid piece of meat. Ganon turned his attention to Link.

The Hero was gauging his chances of reaching the Master Sword and getting it between Ganon and he before he could be blown to bits by the Dark Lord's power. The Relic being at the other man's feet, the odds were not in his favor.

Ganon grinned maliciously. "Hello, Hero."

Link dove forward, making a grab for his sword. Ganon stopped him and held him with his magic. He gave his counterpart a once-over, cocking an eyebrow and sneering.

"This is the best that the Goddesses could do?" he asked, disappointed. "Pathetic." He used his power to slam Link into the opposite wall, temporarily knocking him senseless.

Pausing to retrieve the Twilit Grimoire at Midna's waist, Ganon teleported away in a rush of darkness to ready his plans. He knew both the Hero and the Twilight Princess were still very much alive. He knew they would pursue him. He wanted them to. He wanted to relish their screams of pain and terror when they next met and he crushed them.

After a time, Link was able to collect his wits and get shakily to his feet. He held his pounding head in one hand and used the other to steady himself against the wall. He staggered over to Midna, concern overriding common sense; it would be best for him to sit still for a while.

As soon as Link took his first step, as burning arc ripped through his side and he knew he that he had broken at least one rib, if not more. Clutching his side, the Hero took another step forward, then another and another. He forced his breathing to stay even, if shallow as he moved toward Midna with all the speed he could manage. Each step felt like his side was being ripped open but he persevered. Midna needed him; that was all that mattered.

Once to her side, Link dropped to his knees—an action which he immediately regretted as pain threaded its way through his ribcage. When it had dissipated enough for him to concentrate on the task at hand, he rolled Midna onto her back as gently as he could. Though he had briefly seen the results of her demi-suicidal stunt, he was nonetheless astounded at what he saw when he looked upon her still form.

Not a drop of blood stained the Twilight Princess, nor any other sign of what she had just endured.

Link checked her pulse and listened to her breathing for a quiet moment. Minding his side, Link sat back up and watched his love with amazement. How in Hyrule had she done that? _What_ in Hyrule had she done? The Hero had a basic picture now of what he suspected had been going on. Ganon's presence explained quite a bit of it. But for all the questions it answered, it raised more in their place.

He shook his head to clear it. He had more important things to deal with. He needed to get Midna out of here, stat, and rejoin the others. How he would manage that… Link grimaced. He'd just have to find a way. Sighing, he softly brushed a strand of hair out of her face and caressed her cheek.

Midna's eyes opened slowly at his touch. She placed a hand over his and sat up. She looked into the Hero's eyes. They swirled with a mixture of relief, happiness, and love beyond expression. Midna opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find any words. She tried again.

"Link, I—"

Midna broke off as Link leaned in. He kissed her, long and gentle. When it was over, Link put his arms around her and held her, ignoring the burning in his side. He had her back and he never wanted to let go.

She, eventually, started to pull away and, though Link was tempted not to let her, he did release her after a final squeeze. He smiled at her. Midna looked away.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I should never have let—"

"It's fine, Midna," Link assured her. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you."

"For what?"

"Doubting you. I shouldn't have but things were looking pretty bad and Zelda and I weren't sure what to believe," he explained apologetically.

"Call it even?" she asked, smirking. The Hero nodded. "Now, come on. I need your help with something."

"But we need to get out of here. Zelda and the others are already—"

Midna interrupted, "Somehow, I think saving the Light Realm is just a little more important than our speedy escape." Link froze and looked at her with confusion. "Look, I'll explain on the way but we need to move. We've, uh, _delayed_ enough," she remarked, smirk finding its way to her lips once again as she reminisced about said delay.

She grabbed a hold of his hand and stood, dragging him along with her. The jerking motion sent a spike through Link's side and he fell back to his knees with a cry, instinctively wrenching his arm from Midna's grasp to wrap it around his ribs. Midna was at his side in a second.

"Link! What's wrong?" She sent a small wave of magic into the Hero, delicately probing his abdomen as she looked for an injury.

"It… It's nothing," he lied, trying to get back up.

"Like hell it is," Midna rebuked him. From what she could tell he had two broken ribs and another that was cracked. "Lie down. I don't know much about healing but I should be able to do something."

Link reluctantly complied and the Twilight Princess began weaving her spells, trying to realign and mend the bone. It was a long and slow process. She told him it would be so.

"So, seeing as we're not going anywhere… wanna give me the details now?"

Midna sighed and—with some difficulty—divided her attention between explaining what was going on and setting Link's ribs. Easier said than done as one wrong move and she could accidentally kill him in any number of ways.

She began with the basics, a run-through of the hell she had been put through over the past few days. She explained her dreams, how she'd been trapped in the Dark Realm, and why Ganon seemed so much more imposing—Ganondorf the Elder was much stronger than his descendant. She did her best to gloss over the worst of it, trying to spare Link the useless worry.

For his part, the Hero burned with cold fury on hearing what Ganon had done. He started up, wanting to find and kill the Dark Lord right then but Midna pushed him down once more. She scolded him for wrecking her concentration—a often a more dangerous thing than non-mages could ever understand, especially when dealing with relatively unfamiliar magic.

The Twilight Princess continued, "Anyway, when I forced my mind back to my body, Ganon's was still there. Because of that our minds sort of… merged for a second—which is really rather disgusting but it did have one advantage: I know his plans.

"Ganon intends to attack the Light Realm head-on using my people as a battering ram. With both the other Triforce-bearers gone there'd be nothing to prevent him from covering Hyrule in true darkness." Her eyes clouded over as she looked down. "And trust me, the Twilight that Zant cast on your world is nothing compared to it."

Link, worried, gingerly reached up and brushed a finger along her jaw line. She didn't look back at him but she did relax. "If he did go to Hyrule, wouldn't it be impossible for him to get back? I thought only you and Zelda knew the spell to unlock the Mirror of Twilight on that end."

"Like I said, our minds merged. I know all he knew, he knows all I knew. Again, really rather disgusting to think about." She stood and brushed her hands off—the Hero's Clothes were self-reparatory but not self-cleaning. Link followed her lead. "I would tell you to take it easy on those—I did what I could but curative magic isn't my forte so they're not one hundred percent—but I know you never listen under normal circumstances, let alone these."

"Ah," Link said, "I'll get Zelda to look at them once this is over. 'Sides we've beaten a Dark Lord before; how much harder could it be to beat this one? I mean, the guy's, what, seven hundred years old? More? I think we can handle that."

Midna rolled her eyes. "You didn't listen to a word I said, did you, wolf breath?" Link shrugged and flashed a grin. Midna grunted. "Fine," she grumbled, "but don't' say I didn't warn you. Onwards to our deaths then," she said with a grim levity as she began making her way to the portal, punching Link lightly in the side with her hair-hand.

The Hero smarted a little but his smile only widened; Midna was definitely back.

**Author's Note: First off, for those of you I told that there were three chapters left… I lied. _Now_ there are three chapters left… I think. I didn't think Ganon's reveal and Link and Midna's reunion would be so long. Nonetheless, I actually really like this chapter. I think it's one of my personal favorites so far. I do think it was a little overly mushy in some places, but eh.**

**Anyway, no one cares what I think. Tell me what you thought of it. In other words… REVIEW! **

**Thanks to _Shadow Commando, ChocolateTeapot, _and _Phantom Hunter of the Soul _for Reviewing. Well, _Phantom Hunter_? Have I earned my un-damning?**

—**TG **


	15. As Twilight Falls, Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda much in the same way that you (hopefully) do not own a man-eating butterfly.**

_**Chapter 14: As Twilight Falls, Part 1**_

The phantom that was Ganon paged slowly through his darkest creation, the Twilit Grimoire. The Grimoire held only the vilest spells of mostly forgotten tongues, hand-picked by the Dark Lord from various Forbidden Magics of shadowed, unknown origins. Each was written meticulously in Ganon's own hand on every page, often translated below to an old dialect of Twilian—Gerudan, the language of Ganon's own people.

He was sitting upon the throne meant for the Twilight King or Queen—or Princess, as the case may be. He did not doubt that if the current ruler of the Twilight Realm saw him on it, she'd see it as adding insult to injury. There, however, she would be wrong. By right, as the Damned King, the throne was his. He had been deposed all those centuries ago by one of Midna's ancestors. In some ways, this made him the legitimate ruler and her the tyrant seeking to take over the realm. At least, it did in his mind. He continued making his way page-by-page through the book.

His hand, if it could be called that, faltered for a brief second as he noted the spell on his current page: the All-Consuming Flame. It read, _"Az kareth zarai lo sharek."_ The one and only spell that Midna had ever dared to utter from the book. A twisted grin turned Ganon's lips. Perhaps this was the magic that he would unleash upon the Hero and Twilight Princess. He rather liked the irony.

Hesitating no longer, Ganon continued his search. Revenge was all well and good and he would have it, but not yet. He had other business to attend to first. Each spell was hand-picked and thus all served some purpose or another. In the choosing, Ganon had gone through every possible circumstance, preparing for all turns of fortune, be they ill or fair.

Time was that he could simply touch the Grimoire and it would open to the page he desired, but not now. It had been absent from his side for too long. It had known too many incompetent masters and was reluctant to allow any will, even its creator's, to dominate its own. The Twilit Grimoire desired blood and death, and only these. The Dark Lord had more refined plans in mind which—while involving both things—would take all too much time to sate the book's thirst. And thus it resisted him, wishing to find a master that it could more easily control.

Ganon pushed the weight of his mind down harder on the Grimoire, loosening his hold on some of the more unnecessary souls that were in his control—a mildly suspicious noble here, a dying soldier there. At last, the Grimoire acquiesced to his demand, its pages flipping swiftly underneath his unmoving fingertips, as if blown by a powerful gust of wind and coming to a stop at a page very near the book's end.

He read through the spell's description and its words. Ganon called out with his mind to the strongest mages he controlled within the Palace—a number of them were on the High Council, though not Variak Sharesk; Variak was a strong sorcerer however the Dark Lord did not think the old Twili's body could handle the strain. Lord Sharesk had not yet outlived his usefulness.

When the mages arrived, Ganon put them about drawing the necessary runes and lines, this bit of magic being more ritualistic than most. He'd not wanted to do this yet but the rebellion and Midna's freedom forced him to expedite his plans. Thirteen mages he'd summoned, all drawing thirteen identical pentacles surrounded by thirteen identical sets of runes. They formed a circle, at the center of which a fourteenth pentacle was drawn. Its characters were slightly different. Additional lines were drawn connecting the thirteen pentacles to the one at the center.

On the design's completion, the pentacles were filled one mage each as Ganon took the center. The voices of the Twili rose in a chorus of chanting as they spoke the words of the spell the Dark Lord had planted in their minds. A shining light glowed around each Twili—their respective lifeforces. Some were slightly brighter than others but they all slowly corroded to black as the chant continued and Ganon joined in. The corrupted lifeforce flowed from the mages and into Ganon.

This was a long process and during it, Ganon was forced to divide his attention with another, smaller piece of magic. He needed to revise the orders of some of his guards. Most would never dared to attempt this, given the power and menace of the other spell, but Ganon had hundreds of years to master himself compared to the time offered by short lives. He did not waver in either incantation, one done in speech, the other in thought.

The Dark Lord yelled out in a mixture of pain and pleasure that cut even his warped mind. He fell to his hands and knees but did not stop—could not. Not when he was this close.

One by one, the Twili began to fall, empty husks bereft of life. Ganon drained them dry, leaving only shells in his determination to succeed. In a matter of minutes, he was the only one left alive-apparently none were strong enough to withstand the spell. Ganon took a deep breath and clenched his fist, pushing himself to his feet. He stumbled forward on somewhat uncertain legs before he found his balance. Then he strode on confidently. He kicked the corpse of a Twili aside and out of his was as he exited. Part of it crumbled to dust at his strike, more when it hit the wall.

The Triforce of Power shone ominously as Ganon continued.

* * *

Midna shot out a wave of magic at two Twili guardsmen, doing her best to weaken the natural force of the spell and soften the blow. The guards were knocked off their feet. They didn't rise again but a quiet groan from one and the gasping breath of the other—he'd been winded as he hit the floor—assured Midna that they were still alive. She was doing her best to deal only nonfatal strikes, as the Twili had no choice in what they were doing. Likewise, Link was avoiding using the Master Sword's edge or point, favoring the flat and hilt and limiting his attacks to smacks to the head and chest.

Despite the care they used in these encounters, Midna was worried. So far she and Link had only dealt with groups of five or fewer. This in and of itself was of little concern, but if they ran into a force of greater numbers, even just a little more… The Twilight Princess wasn't so sure they could keep things non-lethal for her people or for her and the Hero. It would happen sooner or later.

She'd seen Ganon's mind and what was happening to Zelda and her rebel band and she was worried both for them—little did she know that the princess and her companions had already made their escape—and that Ganon would use the same tactics now. Once the first group of guardsmen had come across the rebels, he'd used the information gained from their minds to send more guards to their location. Doubtless, he would do this here. Midna only hoped that they would reach the portal by then. If they could manage that then maybe, just maybe they would succeed in barring Ganon from the Light Realm and—though this was even more a long-shot—live though their little coup to fight another day. They had less than a snowball's chance in hell of pulling one off, let alone both.

"_But I can always dream,"_ Midna supposed silently.

"So, what's the plan?" Link asked as they resumed their race against the clock and the Dark Lord.

"Huh?" Link repeated the question. "When have we ever needed—or, in fact, _had_—a plan?"

"Then care to explain how we're gonna stop Ganon from getting to the Light Realm?" Link asked Midna, giving her a pointed look.

"I was under the impression that forethought was Zelda's area of expertise. Since when do actually think things through, my impulsive Hero?" she returned, smirking.

Link looked away, an embarrassed blush reddening his face as he said, "Since I almost lost you."

The Twilight Princess glanced his way, a genuine and heartfelt smile touching her lips. "I'm really not sure what we'll do, to be honest. We _could_ go through and ask the Sages to disassemble the mirror, but I doubt they'd let us go back through again and I won't leave Zelda and the others here to face Ganon without us." She shrugged. "Guess we'll just have to play it by ear as we go along, as usual. It's always worked for us before."

"Not true," Link chuckled. "There was no 'we' before, just _you_ dragging me across Hyrule and ordering me to do this and that."

"And just look how well that turned out!" Midna exclaimed, smile turning mischievous once more.

"Except, of course, for that time you decided you wanted to see what was up at Snowpeak, in spite of all the warnings from the Zora. Really not your best idea," he remarked. "And there was that incident with Fyer…"

Midna glared at Link and gave him another light punch in the side. "Oh, shut it, Hero. Y'know, sometimes I miss the days when you were a wolf. You were so much more obedient… and quiet. Ugh! I should've just left you in the Hyrule Castle dungeon!"

"But then you would've missed out on all this fun."

"Fun? Please, saving worlds, overthrowing tyrants… It's actually getting kinda old," Midna commented, only half kidding. It really was all too common for them. First Zant, then Ganondorf the Younger, then Anduvar—in a more subtle way—and now Ganondorf the Elder; would it ever stop? Being sent to the Twilight used to be a punishment. Whatever happened to that?

"Don't know what you're complaining about. I did all the legwork the first time around."

"Hey! I was like four feet high and Zant had stolen most of my magic. It's not like I—" Midna broke off as a somewhat familiar staircase came into view—she didn't know every corner of the Palace of Twilight but she was pretty sure this was where they needed to be. "We're almost there! C'mon!" She grabbed the Hero by the hand and dragged him forward though it was unnecessary as he was already speeding up, eager to find a way to end the battle and hopefully save the realms.

Charging up the stairs, Midna drew deeply on her magic and sent out an energy wave that carried all the power of a stampeding Bulbo. The door at the top shattered and exploded outward. She and Link burst out into a hallway. They quickly navigated around the Palace—Midna was much more confident in her knowledge of these corridors than those of the underlevels—and all but flew out into the courtyard in front of the portal, the Twilight Princess again blowing open the door.

The Hero had only a brief time to enjoy the feeling of fresh, open air—the first he'd known in days—and Midna to gaze upon the serene beauty of the Twilight before they noticed a small problem.

One hundred Twili, soldiers and mages, stood at attention in full armor and accoutrement as befitted their trade. At that moment, two hundred dull, almost glazed eyes, turned to look at the pair. The small army made no move for a long second. It was then that Ganon sent the orders that had distracted him. He commanded them to stall the Hero and Twilight Princess—but not kill them—until such a time that he was prepared to go after them himself.

They marched forward, going neither fast nor slow, following orders without the passion of true fighting men. Shock held Link and Midna in place long enough for the Twili to surround them. So far as said army was concerned, this would have constituted fulfilling Ganon's demands; so long as Link and Midna remained where they were, little else was of relevance to them.

However, this was taken as an act of aggression by the newly reunited lovers. Link drew the Master Sword; Midna called up her magic, holding spells at the ready in her mind. They moved to stand back-to-back. As they took their fighting stances and the Twili mirrored their actions, Midna couldn't help but give a chuckle and smile.

"What'd I tell you last year, Link?" she asked, gesturing to the crowd of Twili. "Always the works!" With that, she let out a pair of magic beams directed at two if the mages—still she weakened her attacks. She would never again kill any of her people, not when they couldn't control their actions. She had never forgiven herself for those that she and Link had been forced to destroy when Zant had taken over, turning them into Shadow Beasts. Her people would not suffer for her weakness any longer.

The battle quickly became an all out free-for-all. Link's sword was constantly in motion, ringing as it blocked, parried, smacked, and occasionally sliced. Midna was similarly keeping in motion, though hers came in the form of various hand gestures and chants that ever rolled off her tongue. Where one Twili fell, another rose in his place. They fought with equal ferocity only because it was required to stay in the battle, and thus keep their targets where they were.

In a strange way, much of the frenzy of the fight came from expectation. Link and Midna expected a grueling, intense fight and so that was they way in which they dealt with the Twili. This in turn forced the Twili to do the same. Neither side had any desire—or ability, on the Twili's side—to hurt the other so it was possible that this may have passed peacefully. So much trouble for such a small misconception.

Time immemorial passed, marked only by flashes of cold steel, eruptions of magic, and falling soldiers and mages. Both lovers were exhausted, but it was worse on the Hero. His fight with Nero, his journeys through the dungeon to find Midna and to escape, coupled with the skirmishes and now this, Link was just about ready to collapse. Not knowing what else to do, he prayed to the Goddesses to let the fight end. As if in answer, his Triforce exploded with light. In the whiteness, the surrounding Twili—Midna included—cried out and fell. Link dropped to his knees, hand over his eyes.

Spots swam in Link's vision as he uncovered his eyes and rubbed them. When they were clear, he turned and checked the Twilight Princess, shaking her lightly. "You okay?"

She groaned. "The hell was that?" she asked blearily—the other Twili were down for the count, a fate she escaped due to a resistance she'd built up to light that, if incomplete, was enough to take off the edge.

Link shook his head, shrugging tiredly.

The sound of clapping filled the air. They spun around to find the source. What they saw had them on their feet in under a second flat, respective weapons both figuratively and literally at hand.

The Dark Lord Ganondorf applauded the lovers, sword at one hip, Twilit Grimoire at the other. Gone was the black that had coated his figure. He stood before them in full physical form, smiling darkly.

**Author's Note: Another chapter bites the dust. Admittedly, not as fun to write as some of the others but it leads into one that I think I'm gonna enjoy. Next is the last official chapter (maybe...), but afterwards will be the epilogue (or maybe just a plain, old final chapter; not sure which yet). On that note, Part Three will be called **_**Legend of Zelda: In Fading Light**_**. Kinda makes me wanna change WCHB's title to make it more dramatic. Thanks to the usual suspects for Reviewing, with the addition of one **_**Kyoun**_**. :)**

**Read and Review.**

—**TG.**


	16. As Twilight Falls, Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda… That's pretty much all there is to it.**

_**Chapter 15: As Twilight Falls, Part 2**_

Ganon strode dramatically toward Link and Midna, spreading his arms in welcome; he'd waited longer than most people could begin to comprehend. He would have his show, enjoy his triumph. He looked up at the sky, slowly lightening from black to the softer highlights of the Twilight's eerie version of dawn. He seemed to be checking the time.

"A good morning to you, Hero. And you, my dearest, most gracious Twilight Princess. Truly, I cannot thank you enough for all that you have given and, ah, _lent_ me," he said, shooting Midna a look of pointed amusement.

She took an instinctive step back. Link moved to stand protectively between them. He gripped the Master Sword with both hands, knowing he'd need the extra strength. A small flame of anger, smothered until now, rekindled in him at the sight of the Dark Lord.

"Come now, Hero," Ganon began, stepping over the body of an unconscious Twili, "surely that can wait. All these centuries of planning… Don't I deserve the chance to gloat?" Link's body tensed, his feet dug into the ground a bit. He was readying his first attack. "Very well," Ganon said, his madman's grin widening. Ganon's sword was in his hands in an instant. It was a two-handed broadsword—though he was perfectly capable of wielding it with one—with carved runes etched down the dark grey blade. The hilt and pommel were in the shape of snarling beasts, rubies shining in place of eyes.

Within a fraction of a second after Ganon drew this sword, he and Link charged forward to collide with an explosive dint of metal on metal. Armed with greater size and muscle mass—and, indeed, the Triforce of Power—Ganon managed to push the Hero back a few inches before he could offer much resistance. Throwing all he had into it, his own Triforce allowing him to temporarily ignore his exhaustion, Link was able to keep his foe at bay. His gaze tracked over to Midna. She was about to join in.

"No, keep back!" he shouted, voice strained as he and Ganon's power struggle continued. Midna started to protest but Link continued, saying, "I'll hold him off; just find a way to close the portal!"

As he turned his full attention, praying Midna would simply do what he said for once, Link disengaged his sword from Ganon's and aimed a strike at the Dark Lord's neck. He blocked it, flicking the tip of the Master Sword down in an attempt to throw Link off balance. The Hero flowed with the blow, shifting into a roll that he carried into a Back Slice. Ganon whirled around at the last moment, catching the blade on his arm. It glanced along his bracer, carving a light scratch along its length.

They continued like such for a time, Link periodically checking over his shoulder to see that Midna was unharmed. Ganon laughed derisively as this action nearly allowed him to take off Link's head.

"How curious," he remarked, "that you claim to love her so and yet you were so quick to believe that she would betray you." He chuckled; Link's attacks increased in ferocity. "But, then, perhaps you weren't surprised. You know what they say about Light and Dark, after all." The Hero's next strike vibrated up through Ganon's blade and into his arm. "If nothing else, your precious Twilight Princess _is_ rather generous. What fun I had on that… _borrowed_ time."

Link cried out in rage as the fire of his anger flared and his Triforce blazed with light as it lent him its full power. Ganon only continued to smile as they reengaged; he was just barely scratching the surface of his Triforce's potential, never mind the Grimoire. Link would burn out far before him.

* * *

As Link and Ganon fought, Midna watched the portal in uncertain contemplation. Perhaps Link had been right. A plan would definitely have come in handy. So far as Midna knew the portal's flow had never been interrupted—excepting the Sages' previous interference, and by what power they'd managed that, she could hardly begin to guess.

Midna ran through a number of sealing spells but doubted any would be powerful enough to hold in its magic. Link and Ganon weren't making her job any easier, either. The sounds of their battle echoing constantly in her head, breaking her concentration, tearing her between what needed to be done and what she wanted to do—i.e. help the Hero.

Finally, her musings yielded some result as she remembered a spell she'd seen a while back. It was fuzzy in her head; she'd come across it during her research on the Sols in the library and had paid it little mind. The only reason she'd paused to read it at all was that it was supposedly one of the incantations used to bind the Twili to the realm—seeing as both Zant and she had left the Twilight, it was more likely that it had bound them to the Sols.

Given its potency, it would probably be best performed by a minimum of three experienced mages. Midna would have to make it work with only herself. The Twilight Princess struggled to refine the details of it in her mind. Lucky for her that, as a sorceress, her memory was good and her knowledge of magic and languages allowed her to tweak things she couldn't quite recall.

Midna calmed herself and made what little, last preparation she could as she took hold of her magic. _"Nra—"_

She broke off as she felt the delicate sting of cold, sharp steel at the side of her throat.

* * *

Link jumped back, hopping over Ganon's sweeping blade and dodging out of his range. The foes began circling each other, the Hero's sapphire eyes locking on to Ganon's blood-red ones—the only thing unchanged in his transformation. Ganon stepped forward with an overhead slash. Being midstep, Link was unable to position his blade well and got caught in an awkward stance, the Master Sword forced down to nearly touching his shoulder. He quickly shifted one hand off his sword, grabbed his Hylian Shield from off his back. Link shoved it into the Dark Lord's chest, forcing the larger man back a foot or two.

It was then, as the stared each other down, that Link caught a glimpse of something beyond Ganon. Somewhere in their fight as they'd endlessly sliced and lashed out at each other, Ganon had come to stand between Link and the portal.

Behind Ganon, silhouetted by the light filtering through from Hyrule, Midna stood. She wasn't moving, arms frozen halfway through some gesture or another. At her side stood another blackened figure. It was holding a sword to her neck.

The Dark Lord noted his distraction and glanced over his shoulder in search of the source. Seeing it, he raised an eyebrow; he could sense very well who it was, recognizing the patterns of their mind. He spoke with wry and dark humor, "And it is said that evil's serpent often bites its own tail… It would appear good is much the same."

Link didn't know what he meant. He also didn't care. He had to help Midna. Ganon moved to block his way, a heavy swing of the sword once again forcing Link to dodge back.

"Not so fast, Hero. You want to help your little lover there, you're going to have to finish me first," Ganon said, eyes alight with malice.

Link tried again to push past Ganon but was similarly driven back. Resigned but unhappy, Link took up his sword, fighting with a renewed sense of urgency. He'd have to end this soon and hope Midna could hold on until then.

In spite of his undying determination, his Triforce was glowing ever dimmer as he drew on its power more and more.

* * *

Midna was rooted in place. The sword trembled slightly but always maintained at least the barest whisper of a touch on her throat. Though she could still hear the fighting, an irrational fear surged through the Twilight Princess. She worried that Link had been defeated, that it was Ganon that held her at knifepoint, that the Hero lay dying in a pool of his own blood.

"T-turn around," came the call of a quivering voice.

Midna started at it. She recognized that voice and that stutter. She turned in one swift, jerking motion, accidentally giving herself a small cut as she bumped into the sword. _"You? !"_ she exclaimed, incredulous and forgetting for a moment the danger she was in.

Taque's eyes lowered briefly, as if his actions shamed him. His grip on his sword remained as firm as he could manage. "P-Princess—" he began.

"What in the name of Eternal Darkness are you doing?" Midna yelled. She was more embarrassed than angry. The young Lord Lathel had a reputation at the Palace that was a great deal less formidable than his brother's had been. To have been snuck up on by him, irregardless of the circumstances…

"I, uh… Well, Your Majesty—" he tried again.

"Y'know, if you really meant the whole 'Your Majesty' thing, you probably wouldn't be pointing a sword at me," Midna commented, always the smart aleck.

"You don't deserve the title!" Taque shouted. Midna drew back, startled by the vehemence in his words. "You tried to frame the Light Dwellers, but it was you, wasn't it?"

"I don't…" Midna trailed off, shaking her head in some confusion.

"You… You killed Anduvar, didn't you? _Didn't you? !_" His arm was shaking heavily now, sword practically bouncing in his hand. He was close to losing all control in his grief.

The Twilight Princess took a short step back to avoid further injury. Taque let her but didn't take his eyes off of her as he waited for an answer. She gazed at him sadly. Goddesses knew what he'd seen in his brother but he'd obviously cared about him and he was right. It was her fault that Anduvar had died. She shouldn't have let Ganon get the best of her, she should've returned the Grimoire earlier or told Link and Zelda about the trouble it gave her.

"Taque… I'm sorry."

He lowered his blade miserably; Midna gave a quiet, relieved sight, cut short as he raised it again. "You're _sorry_? You think that makes it better? You think that brings him back?"

"No. I know it doesn't." Midna's thoughts turned to her father. Zant had killed him to take the crown. "But, Taque, please, you have to listen to me. I-I can't explain it all right now, but it wasn't me. I mean, Anduvar's death was my fault, but not in the way you think. It wasn't me, not exactly."

"W-what?"

"I don't have the time to tell you everything, but see that guy that Link's fighting?" Taque's eyes darted over to the battle. He nodded. "He's been pulling the strings, controlling me with the Twilit Grimoire. His name is Ganondorf the First."

Taque wavered in uncertainty. Her story was far-fetched but, evidently, the Hero believed her as he was fighting the man. Unless, he was working with Midna and the Hero simply kept him back, fighting for his life. His pause dragged on.

Midna lost her patience. "Damn it, you're a mage, aren't you? Can't you sense that bastard's power? Don't you recognize it?"

Hesitating, Taque looked back at Ganon with his inner eyes. His second sight was nearly blinded by the intensity of the light pouring from Link and Ganon's forms. Intermingled in Ganon's aura, however, were streaks of deepest night. The Dark Lord's aura, presence, and the feel of his twisted mind were oddly familiar to Taque. He _had_ thought something was up. Taque lowered his sword and sheathed the blade.

"Just… just trust me for now," Midna said with gentle relief. "If you don't believe me at the end, then I'll leave my fate in your hands. But, for now, just trust me and give me a hand." She watched him, imploring.

Taque nodded affirmative, too drained to speak. The Twilight Princess swiftly told him what must be done and schooled him in the incantation they would use to close the portal.

* * *

Tit for tat, Ganon and Link exchanged blows. Their swords clashed sending showers of sparks flickering through the air each time the gleaming silver and grey blades met.

The opponents had started on fairly equal footing, but Link was slowly losing ground, the Master Sword growing leaden to his arm. He was tired and Ganon had had lifetimes of rest. Even were this not so, Link still would have found himself losing. Ganon outclassed him in swordplay, magic, and endurance. In proof of Ganon's greater skill, he was unscathed while the Hero bore several deep scratches and a newly re-broken rib.

Just as the Dark Lord intended to bring their battle to an abrupt end—about to drive his blade deep into the Hero's heart— Midna and Taque did it for him. As soon as they uttered the first word in the spell, Ganon sensed the strong pulse of magic it sent racing out, reverberating through the twilit skies. He pulled his strike short and spun to glare with fury unimaginable directed at the two Twili as they continued. He would not allow these insolent, little, upstart runts to get in his way.

Link far from his mind, he whipped out the Grimoire. It floated before him, pages flitting by, blown by an unfelt wind. They stopped upon the spell he desired. A short incantation it was, unlike the spell that Midna and Taque were attempting. An arc of lightning burst forth and would have torn through the Twili had Ganon's aim not failed in the final second. Link had not forgotten him, stabbing the Master Sword through the Dark Lord's side. The lightning struck just before their feet, sending them sprawling; Taque was knocked off the island, just able to grab the edge but unable to pull himself up.

Before Ganon could retaliate, Link jumped forward in a Helm Splitter. Instead of aiming for Ganon's head, he targeted the Twilit Grimoire, striking it a glancing blow that did it no damage but did send it spinning away from Ganon. Link landed on his feet as Ganon slumped forward. He ran to Midna, who was trying to help Taque up.

"He's on our side," Midna explained, cutting Link off before he could ask. Link, acknowledging that now was no time to argue, reached down, grabbed Taque by the forearm and hauled him up. The Twili stammered out his breathless thanks.

Looking at Ganon, Midna heaved a defeated sigh. "We've lost." Ganon had already called the Grimoire back and was chanting a spell of healing. "We should get out while we still can."

Taque lowered his head, defeat weighing heavily on him both for the simple fact of failure and for the knowing that he had failed Anduvar.

Link would not give in so easily. In his mind, he knew there had to be a way. There was always a way.

An idea started forming. Link looked at the portal, judging its distance, then calculating the weight of the sword in his hand, the force he would need. Link flipped the Master Sword and caught it at the blade's narrowing, where it met the hilt. He hefted it, feeling its balance, took a step forward and thrust it toward the portal.

The Blade of Evil's Bane flew into the portal, shining brightly with a radiance that refused to dim as it passed through to the Light Realm. Soon after the trio lost sight of it, the portal sputtered out and both the only path to Hyrule and the Master Sword were lost.

At this, Ganon bellowed his rage and left off on his healing. He brandished his sword and charged forward, screaming oath and threat in equal measure.

Midna took Link by the shoulder and Taque by the arm, muttering a quick and familiar spell. They dissolved into Shadow Squares, disappearing to leave Ganon alone with his wrath.

The Dark Lord stood on the empty ledge, having escaped one prison of darkness only to be locked in one of twilight.

**Author's Note: Only the epilogue left. It won't have either group in it, unfortunately. I had originally intended to build it into this chapter, but I think they're better off separated. It'll probably be pretty short. I wanna have it up by this Friday so be on the lookout.**

**Anywho, whaddya you guys think of the ending? I've had it planned for a while; nice to finally get it out there. While the battles have been fun, I'll be relieved to be rid of them for a while; it's hard to write so many right after the other. Well, that's all for now. Thanks to my Reviewers.**

**You know what to do.**

—**TG **


	17. Epilogue: One Destiny in Many

**Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda… or do I?... Nope.**

_**Epilogue: One Destiny in Many**_

As dawn broke in the Twilight, the sun was just setting in Hyrule. A half-moon rose in the sky, surrounded by a sea of twinkling stars. Despite the light cast of by these, the world seemed darker, the sky's illumination muffled by some unseen power. The moon shone on with a melancholy glow. The night was both lonelier and more ominous than any before—even those three of long ago in the distant land of Termina.

At least, this was how things seemed to the Sages, though their perspective was poisoned by a turn in events from a realm unknown until recently to most. A realm both further than Termina and nearer at hand. They could not see into it as once they had, nor could they sense it. There truly was no way in and no way out of the Twilight. Those whom they had allowed to pass through the portal were gone and might never return.

Blame for this, if only in part, rested on the Hero. Knowing he could not hold Ganon off any more, knowing the spell would take too long, he'd gone with the single apparent—albeit a bit foolish—option left.

The Sages were all too aware of this. The Master Sword was lodged firmly in the Mirror of Twilight, as if in proof. Its shining silver blade giving an even eerier feel to the already ominous Mirror Chamber.

Furthermore, they had known that this was going to happen. They'd warned the King of Twilight of the possibility of this, of the dangers that his daughter could present. He, much like Midna, had never been a terribly good listener.

As the Sages of Hyrule, they were gifted with a sort of foresight that could see into the futures of those destined to either do the realms great good or great evil. They knew what may or may not happen to these individuals—uncertain, as, while there was a good deal of fate involved, free will always played a troubling part. With this power they had foretold Midna's possible future, a distinct, if indirect threat. Though there was no real way to know if this would actually come to pass—even in warning the king, they had said it might not be—the night that the Twilight Princess had returned to Hyrule, the interactions they had observed between she and Link, it was the one time that they had ever been certain which future would come to be.

They had felt no doubt and still they'd made no move to stop her, to stop this from unfolding. They hadn't because they couldn't; such was not for the likes of them. The Sages existed only to watch and to teach. Saving worlds was meant for those such as the Hero, but now they wondered if perhaps exception should have been made. Their inaction could very well lead to the destruction of both realms.

And yet, the future was not without hope. Their sight now clouded for the events that had been set in motion; they could not see the Twilight, nor the happenings therein. Things might yet put themselves to right. So long as the Hero and his companions continued to fight, so long as they didn't give up, there would always be hope, slim sliver though it might be. As in the Light Realm, there were things in the Twilight that would assist them in the fight against the Dark Lord.

If, however, they could not defeat him, there would be nothing to stop Ganondorf from finding as new portal. Making a new entrance would be as simple as trying a new spell for one of his power. He needed only to discover the right words, the correct materials.

Though the outcome remained uncertain, shrouded in a veil of shadows, it was undeniable that a battle was close in coming and its outcome would reach farther than the realm it was to be in.

A light wind carressed the Master Sword and would likely have chilled the Sages, had they still been confined to mortal flesh. They turned as one to gaze at the broken mirror. Once more, they found themselves certain of one fact of days yet to be.

For good or for ill, Hyrule would soon meet its Age of Twilight.

**Author's Note: Short, as I warned you it would be. And so ends Part 2, epilogue published as a birthday present from me to you on my birthday. (sigh) I'm gonna miss it. This took longer than it should have; I'm sorry about the delays (for the story in general, not the chapter). To reiterate, Part 3 will be called **_**The Legend of Zelda: In Fading Light **_**for everyone that wants to keep reading. I might take a short break, but chances are I'll get jumpy about it and publish it by the end of this month or early next.**

**Also, I've been thinking of breaking one of my personal rules and writing two fics at once. The other that I wanna start will either be called **_**The Legend of Zelda: Mix Up**_** or just **_**Mix Up**_**. It's going to be a Humor/Adventure story based on OoT. For a full description, check out the Story Ideas section of my Profile (marked with italics).**

**My eternal thanks to my Reviewers, with special thanks to **_**Shadow Commando**_**, **_**ChocolateTeapot**_**, **_**Phantom Hunter the Soul**_**, and **_**nasanerd09 **_**for Reviewing all or most of the chapters, some of them from the start of WCHB.**

**Last chance for now, so R&R.**

**—TG**


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